Google Expands Dark Web Monitoring To All Users

Google will extend its Dark Web monitoring service to all account holders starting late July 2024, following the closure of its VPN offering last month. The feature, which scans for personal data compromised in breaches, was previously exclusive to Google One subscribers in dozens of countries.

First need to give them my info

[ugen]

Went to check out this feature to see how it works. Apparently a more limited version "results about you" is available even now.
In order to use it, though, I have to supply Google with my personal information first. Makes sense they'd need it - but then I'd rather not give it to Google in the first place. (I am not sure how their badness compares to the Dark Web, but probably not terribly favorably)

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[Voyager529]

I have to supply Google with my personal information first. Makes sense they'd need it - but then I'd rather not give it to Google in the first place.

This has been my concern about lots of these privacy services. On the one hand, the sales pitch of Privacy Bee, Incogni, and DeleteMe is exactly what I'd like to have...but the fact that I need to give them enough personal information to ensure they're deleting my data is not only concerning about these companies themselves, but the ones they're contacting to remove the data - it's basically a verification that the data they have is accurate enough to match the voluntarily-given information I gave to the se

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[LazarusQLong]

you don't HAVE to give Deleteme any data other than your name and email address. After that they will present you with lists of things and you CAN choose to answer those inherent questions, things like is this person related to you? Did you live here? But you are NOT required to answer any of those, just they will have a lot more false positives if you don't, for obvious reasons.

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[privateeromally]

"In order to use it, though, I have to supply Google with my personal information first"

Is their another way for a company to find your personal info on the dark web WITHOUT knowing your info to begin with?

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[ugen]

I thought as google, they already know about everything I do or am, at least when logged in. So - just show me what you know that is related to the information you already have about me. If google with their vast data access has nothing useful on me, I'll feel a bit better wrt. the "dark web" as well.

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[LazarusQLong]

this is sooooo much common sense, no wonder so many on here don't seem to get it!

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[Tony Isaac]

You've already given Google a whole lot of information about you, even if you don't have a Google account, even if you don't search with Google, or use Chrome.

This is because about 75 million websites use Google Analytics, and nearly all Web sites use some kind of marketing "pixel" that tracks you wherever you go. These websites report every visit to ad agencies, including Google. Many of these systems work even if you disable javasscript. Further, they can tie together your web usage across different compu

Of course Google scans for personal data

[Anonymous Coward]

Just means more money for them when they sell that to their """partner businesses""" or however they put it.

Would someone like to explain the term "dark web"?

[mmell]

You see, I have Tails OS installed on a memory stick I keep around for awkward moments. It used The Onion Router (TOR) and the TOR browser. I routinely use the DuckDuckGo search engine; when I do so over TOR, I use the "onionized" (.onion) version. I'm already using the dark web then, yes/no? There are a couple sites for which I maintain old-fashioned IPv4 addresses my local hosts file. This, assuredly, is also of the dark web, yes/no?

The "dark web" is just a Boogeyman for gubberments and the big-boys