Google’s dark web reports are available for free to all users

Since last year, Google has been monitoring leaks of stolen account information from Google One subscribers, such as phone numbers and physical addresses, on the dark web. But starting this month, Google’s dark web reports will be accessible to anyone with a Google account.

According to a Google support page about the transition, the free service will be part of Google’s “Results about you” page. This is where you can currently review information indexed by Google that contains personal contact information such as your home address, phone number, or email address and request its removal so that it doesn’t appear in search results. Google says the transition will create a “combined solution to help people protect their online presence.”

Sure, there are several services, both paid and free, like Have I Been Pwned? that will scan the dark web for your data and send you alerts. But for Google users, combining the company’s two monitoring features in one place to view potential personal information leaks makes sense.

These are unlikely to be the reasons anyone signed up for Google One in the first place, but it could be discouraging to see the benefits disappear without a corresponding price drop.

The main reason to sign up for Google One is to get more storage for your Google account, including photos and Gmail storage. While there are other perks, including Google Meet’s premium video calling features, the ability to share your storage with up to five people, and improved appointment scheduling in Google Calendar, none are that Google’s Gemini-powered AI features might be something you’d consider paying for, but those require higher tiers of Google One, starting at $19.99 per month.