Did you know that Google can scan the dark web for your personal information and notify you if it finds any? Learn how to use this feature and protect yourself from identity theft.
Google is a search engine that indexes the entire web to fetch you results and it’s now also using its powers to protect you from the dark web. After launching “dark web report” in the US back in March, the company has finally launched the feature in India as well. The feature scans the dark web for any presence of your personal information, and if any information is found online, it sends a notification with suggestions on the steps you can take.
The dark web is the internet’s seedier side and is not easy to access – you need special browsers to get in. Some people use it for legal and private reasons, but others use it for illegal and harmful activities. One of the things that happens a lot on the dark web is the sale of stolen information, and you might be a victim without even knowing it. That’s why Google’s feature can be very useful.
You can add different types of information to the feature for Google to scan or monitor, such as your email address, phone number, physical address, and date of birth. The feature is similar to another one that Google has, which alerts you if your personal information shows up in regular search results, but this one is for the darker side of the web.
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The feature is available for everyone, but if you are a Google One subscriber, you get more benefits. You can monitor more details and get real-time alerts, while non-subscribers only get a one-time scan.
How to run a scan (for free users)
If you want to see if your data is safe from the dark web, you can follow these simple steps:
– Go to one.google.com.
– Under “Dark web report,” click Try now.
– Click Run scan.
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How to turn on dark web monitoring (for Google One subscribers)
If you want to keep an eye on your data and get notified of any breaches, you need to be a Google One subscriber. You can sign up for Google One from one.google.com or through the Google One app.
Once you are a subscriber, you can set up dark web monitoring by following these steps:
– Open the Google One webpage.
– Navigate to the Dark Web Report section and click on “Set up.”
– On the next page, choose the data you want to monitor, such as your name, date of birth, and phone number.
– On the following page, create a Monitoring Profile. You can also add a residential address if you want, and up to 10 additional email addresses and phone numbers.
– Click “Done” to start the initial scan. You will get a detailed report of any data breaches that Google has found.
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First published on: 26-08-2023 at 19:31 IST
