5 ways to scour the dark web for your data after Google kills its free report

Google / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source connected Google.

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Google is ending its acheronian web report, with scans stopping Jan. 15, 2026.
• Google says it is shifting to tools with clearer, actionable guidance.
• Other acheronian web monitoring tools and scanners are inactive available.

Google is softly discontinuing its acheronian web report, a diagnostic of Google Accounts that allowed users to scan the acheronian web for the vulnerability of their idiosyncratic data.

What is the acheronian web?

The acheronian web, besides sometimes referred to arsenic the heavy web, is simply a conception of the net that is not indexed by astir hunt engines, including Google, Bing, oregon Yahoo.

While we tin find websites and online services by searching for them successful the "clear" oregon aboveground web, .onion heavy web resources are not indexed and whitethorn see resources that bash not let crawlers.

Also: The champion information removal services of 2025: Delete yourself from the internet

A tiny subset of this area, the acheronian web, is typically associated with transgression marketplaces and amerciable content. However, it's important to enactment that the acheronian web besides hosts tools and services for warring censorship, whistleblower driblet boxes, and media outlets whose websites are banned astatine the ISP level successful surveillance-led countries.

In the amerciable layer, you tin find information dumps containing leaked PII and fiscal records for merchantability oregon download. According to caller NordVPN research, millions of stolen outgo paper details alteration hands determination each day, and a paper from the US is sold connected mean for lone $11.51. Samples suggest that astir 87% of stolen outgo cards disposable for merchantability are valid for astatine slightest 1 year.

Google's acheronian web study

As archetypal reported by 9to5Google, Google is acceptable to unopen down its acheronian web study scanning feature, a instrumentality made disposable to Google relationship holders lone a fewer years ago.

The study connected to your Google email code and highlighted imaginable information and individuality vulnerability by scanning acheronian web information dumps. This included whether oregon not your personally identifiable accusation (PII) -- specified arsenic your email address, name, location address, day of birth, oregon Social Security fig -- was recovered connected suspicious oregon malicious websites.

Also: How to region your idiosyncratic info from Google Search - it's speedy and easy

Google's support page has confirmed the closure, of which immoderate users were initially notified via email. Scans for caller acheronian web information breaches volition halt connected Jan. 15, 2026, and by Feb.16, 2026, the study volition nary longer beryllium accessible.

Google's determination

Another merchandise goes to the Google Graveyard.

The tech elephantine says that portion the study did supply immoderate wide accusation that whitethorn person been utile to users, "feedback showed that it didn't supply adjuvant adjacent steps."

"We're making this alteration to alternatively absorption connected tools that springiness you much clear, actionable steps to support your accusation online," Google says. "We'll proceed to way and support you from online threats, including the acheronian web, and physique tools that assistance support you and your idiosyncratic information."

Also: I recovered the easiest mode to delete myself from the net - and it's fast

If you already usage the work and privation to delete your study up of time, spell to the dark web report tool, click "Edit monitoring profile" nether the "Results with your info" tab, and prime "Delete your data."

What should I bash now?

There are a fig of steps you tin instrumentality present to amended your online privateness and information and enactment alert of immoderate acheronian web-related information exposures.

1. Use Google's different tools

Google recommends utilizing information tools, including moving a Security Checkup, creating passkeys to unafraid your account, and moving a password checkup to amended your relationship information and spot if you are utilizing immoderate credentials that person been included successful a information breach.

Also: I'm ditching passwords for passkeys for 1 crushed - and it's not what you think

2. Have I Been Pwned

Have I Been Pwned is simply a invaluable resource, provided escaped by information adept Troy Hunt, that lets you cheque whether your email code has been linked to a information breach. Simply benignant your email code into the Have I Been Pwned hunt barroom to spot if you person been progressive successful immoderate information breaches -- and the likelihood is that you have.

Also: Did your logins conscionable get leaked? How to cheque online for escaped (and what to bash next)

Keep successful caput that you won't beryllium shown the nonstop data, specified arsenic a password and username combination, but it volition springiness you an thought of what accusation whitethorn person been leaked, and when.

3. Use an alternate acheronian web monitor

Google hasn't cornered the marketplace erstwhile it comes to acheronian web monitoring oregon scanning -- determination are alternate services we urge arsenic utile privateness and information tools. Two of these, NordVPN's Dark Web Monitor and Surfshark Alert, volition alert you erstwhile new, leaked credentials are recovered online, giving you the accidental to enactment quickly. However, for some services, you volition request to motion up for their VPNs.

You tin besides sojourn Norton for a basal check, but the free scan volition not archer you wherever oregon what service. Other resources see Keeper and Malwarebytes.

4. Check your recognition file

Another lesser-known mode to show acheronian web information leaks is to cheque your recognition report. Some companies, including Experian, present see acheronian web scans arsenic portion of their services. They whitethorn alert you to caller leaks.

5. Check retired a acheronian web assets yourself

We person provided a guide connected however you tin entree the heavy oregon acheronian web yourself if there's a circumstantial .onion website you privation to cheque out. At the least, you volition request a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to hand, and you volition request to download the Tor browser. However, this won't beryllium suitable for astir people.

It's unfortunate, but everyone has leaked data. You whitethorn besides find that immoderate acheronian web scan results repeat, and others volition subordinate to highly aged accounts. Still, if you person received an alert, you should alteration your credentials oregon see deleting unused accounts wholly to enactment safe. If you privation to execute a wide cleanup of your online information, we besides urge exploring data removal services.