Google Sunsets "Dark Web Report" Tool

This week, Google announced they would be shutting down their "Dark Web Report" tool which would alert you if your data—such as email address, password, name, address, and more—appeared in any known dark web data breach sites, citing that "it didn't provide helpful next steps."

The service was a separate offering from Google's "Results About You" service, which is one tool that we recommend depending on your circumstances at Privacy Guides to help you manage your data online.

Google went on to say they were "making this change to instead focus on tools that give you more clear, actionable steps to protect your information online." The tool will continue to function until January 15th.

Data found in data breaches, of course, cannot be removed as criminals who do not listen to legal requests and probably won't respond to "asking nicely." The best any service can do is let you know what data is found.

The best way to keep your data out of data breaches is to simply avoiding giving it up in the first place: be thoughtful and selective about what services you sign up for or apps you download. Give fake information where possible. Always use strong passwords and two-factor authentication, and use encrypted options anywhere they're available.

US citizens can also freeze their credit for free, which will prevent identity thieves from opening new accounts in your name. Credit freezes are also available to some international citizens, though it may not be free.