Google helps Internet users fight online crime.
Users of popular search engines will soon have free access to a tool that allows anyone to check whether their personal information has been stolen and placed on harmful and illegal parts of the Internet, known as the dark web.
The new feature “will help you monitor whether your personal information, such as your name, address, phone number, or email, has been in a data breach.” The company announced In a blog post.
This information will be made available through the existing “My Activity” tool, giving users control over how their information is displayed across Google. This service can be accessed hereIt’s accessible to anyone with a consumer Google Account in 46 countries.
Once you add your contact information (which Google claims won’t be “shared or used to personalize your experience across other Google products”), a search for your data is run across the dark web.
If any concerns are found, they will be sent to you in a prominent “Findings to Review” section of the report.
From there, users can request that their information be deleted.
A similar process is in place for removing information from Google search results, including contact information.
According to Google, reviews usually take a few days.
This new move to protect users comes as Apple publishes new guidelines on how to protect yourself against phishing scams, tactics hackers use to trick people into giving up their personal information.
These attempts often come in the form of fake emails from fake banks, companies or loved ones requesting financial information for seemingly urgent purposes.
