Google One rolls out Dark Web Report feature. How is it useful to Indian users?

According to Google, details like an individual’s name, date of birth, contact number, email, and other particulars can potentially be exploited for criminal purposes like financial fraud and identity theft. The Google Dark Web Report feature will send alerts to users in case their personal information is detected on the dark web, granting them the opportunity to respond appropriately and enhance their vigilance in order to safeguard themselves against such fraudulent activities.

When users activate the dark web report option, they create a monitoring profile where they input and choose the information they want to keep track of. If any relevant data appears on the dark web, the tool informs the user whose information has been compromised and provides guidance on how to protect that data. Regular Google users can perform a single dark web check for a specific email address but will not receive ongoing monitoring or new search notifications.

As per the company, Google One members can use the Dark Web Report to check if their name, birth date, and a maximum of ten email addresses and phone numbers are present on the dark web. Additionally, they have the option to activate real-time dark web monitoring for receiving ongoing updates on new findings, along with recommended actions and assistance.

The Dark Web Report will also identify related information that could be discovered in hacking endeavors and data breaches. These findings will be compared with the private data stored in users’ monitoring profiles, says Google. The management of data in a user’s monitoring profile adheres to Google’s privacy guidelines, and users can choose to delete or deactivate tracking whenever they wish.

Updated: 19 Aug 2023, 02:58 PM IST