Google One Dark Web Report Rolls Out for Users in India: How It Works

Google One users in the US received access to the feature in March.

Written by Sucharita Ganguly, Edited by Richa Sharma | Updated: 19 August 2023 12:54 IST

Highlights

Users are notified if any matching information is discovered on dark Web
Only Premium 2TB plan subscribers previously had VPN access
The feauture rolled out in the US earlier this year

Google One Dark Web Report Rolls Out for Users in India: How It Works

Google One users can select the information they want to monitor

Photo Credit: Google

Google is making the Dark Web Report feature available to Google One subscribers in India. As the dark web is intended to conceal users' identities and whereabouts, it serves as a hub for hackers and miscreants to conduct illicit businesses, such as the sale and purchase of sensitive personal data of people worldwide. Users will be able to track their personal information in the darkest corners of the Internet. Earlier this year, Google One intoduced its services to all users in the US. Previously, the service was exclusively available to Premium 2TB plan subscribers.

Personal information like someone's name, birth date, phone number, email address and other details can be used to commit crimes such as identity theft or financial fraud. The Google Dark Web Report will notify users if and when their personal information is spotted on the dark web, allowing them to take required action and practice more caution to protect themselves from such fraud.

Users enter and select the information they wish to track in the monitoring profile when the dark web report option is enabled. If any pertinent data is found on the dark web, the tool notifies the user whose data has been leaked along with instructions on how to safeguard that information. Regular Google users may conduct a one-time dark web check for one email address, but they will not receive continuous tracking or fresh search alerts.

Members of Google One are able to use the Dark Web Report to see if their name, date of birth, up to ten email addresses, and ten phone numbers are on the dark web. They can also enable real-time dark web tracking to get updates of new results, as well as suggested measures and support.

The Dark Web Report will highlight other associated details that may be found in hacking attempts as well as data dumps, alongside observations matching the private data that users have on their monitoring profile. The data that is stored in a user's monitoring profile is managed to comply with Google's privacy standards, and users have the ability to delete or deactivate tracking at any time.

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