Alphabet (GOOGL) Eliminates Its Widely Used 'Dark Web Report'

Google parent company Alphabet (GOOGL) is discontinuing its popular and widely used dark web report, a free service that scans the internet for people's personal information.Claim 50% Off TipRanks Premium and Invest with Confidence Unlock hedge-fund level data and powerful investing tools designed to help you make smarter, sharper decisions Stay ahead of the market with the latest news and analysis so your portfolio is always positioned for maximum potential In an emailed statement, Alphabet said that it will stop monitoring for new results on the dark web beginning on Jan. 15, 2026, and that all data collected to date will be unavailable as of Feb. 16, 2026. The technology giant said that the service is being shut down because the feedback it provides doesn't give users helpful next steps. "We're making this change to instead focus on tools that give you more clear, actionable steps to protect your information online," Google wrote in a social media post. "We will continue to track and defend you from online threats, including the dark web, and build tools that help protect you and your personal information." The Dark Web The dark web is a hidden part of the internet that's accessible only with special software. It provides anonymity for users and website hosts, making it hard to trace. For this reason, the dark web is often where illegal activities and online scams originate and take place. Alphabet says it provides other tools that people can use for their internet security and to maintain their data privacy online, including Privacy Checkups, Passkey, Two-Step Verification, Google Password Manager, and Password Checkup. Is GOOGL Stock a Buy? The stock of Alphabet has a consensus Strong Buy rating among 36 Wall Street analysts. That rating is based on 29 Buy and seven Hold recommendations issued in the last three months. The average GOOGL price target of $323.73 implies 5.35% upside from current levels.