Your personal information is a goldmine for advertisers. Data brokers are scouring the web to get their hands on your name, location, employment history, marital status, financial records, and other data points.
It can be difficult to keep your personal data safe today, but Surfshark’s data deletion tool, Incogni, can help you maintain your privacy online. Incogni takes up the responsibility of contacting data brokers on your behalf and requests that your personal information be removed from their databases.
You save a lot of time using Incogni as you don’t have to submit data removal requests on your own. Plus, sometimes, data brokers ask you to fill out complex forms for them to delete your data. However, Incogni handles all of that!
But does Incogni live up to expectations? In this Incogni review, we put the service to the test!
Incogni Review: In a Nutshell
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Available In: | Canada, EU, UK, and US |
| Pricing: | $.6.49/month – $12.98/month |
| Money-back guarantee: | 30-days |
| Number of data brokers: | 180+ |
What We Like
- Sends data removal requests on your behalf (time-saving!)
- Interface is simple, organized, and easy to use
- Tracks and reports on responses from data brokers
- Relatively inexpensive (monthly subscription plans)
- Sends out recurring data removal requests to help you long term
- Responsive and helpful customer support (via email)
What We Don't Like
- Doesn't prevent data acquisition; only requests removal
- Doesn't provide details on what data is found
- No email masking
Overall, Incogni is one of the better data removal services available at its price point. While it lacks certain features compared to competitors, including detailed data deletion reports, it offers a simple and efficient way to wipe your data from data brokers’ databases. Moreover, Incogni only collects basic personal data for its services and treats this data with care.
Interested in trying out Incogni? You can save up to 50% on your subscription if you sign up for Incogni today.
How Much Does Incogni Cost?
Incogni offers two plans with the same features. The two differ in length (monthly vs. annual) and price. The table below shows Incogni’s price and the plans it offers.
| Plan | Cost (per month) | People Covered | Money Back Guarantee | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | $6.49 | 1 | 30 days | 50% |
| Monthly | $12.98 | 1 | 30 days | 0 |
If you want to save money, we recommend the yearly plan, which is available at a 50% discount compared to the monthly plan. You can pay with your credit card or through PayPal and ApplePay.
Incogni data removal service is surprisingly cheap compared to other providers. We have reviewed Abine DeleteMe and Kanary, which were both more expensive.
If you want an easy-to-use, no-nonsense tool that removes data for you without charging a lot, Incogni might be the service for you! There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee that lets you try the tool risk-free.
Surfshark Incogni: Features and Benefits
One of Incogni’s main strengths is its simplicity and ease of use. You simply create an account, feed it some personal information, and it’ll automatically send data removal requests to its network of 180+ brokers.
However, it doesn’t offer much else in terms of privacy or security. For instance, it doesn’t give you email or phone number masking, like DeleteMe does. But if you’re looking for an automated service that requests data brokers to remove your data, Incogni should be at the top of your list.
Data broker network
Currently, Incogni works with over 180 data brokers, which is an impressive feat considering the service was only launched in 2022! Moreover, the service continuously adds new data brokers to its network, so don’t be surprised if the number is actually higher than what we’ve listed here.
During our research, we found that Incogni issues official data removal requests under various laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (EU), California Consumer Privacy Act (California), and Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada).
Under these legislations, data brokers must remove personal data when supplied with a formal request. The prescribed timelines for data removal are 30 days (GDPR) and 45 days (CCPA).
Not only does Incogni work with a vast network of data brokers, but it also covers different kinds of brokers, ensuring that different kinds of personal information are deleted. The types of data broker sites that Incogni targets are:
- People Search Sites: Collect and host detailed personal information about individuals for others to search and browse through.
- Marketing Brokers: Collect and sell personal information, such as browsing habits and purchase history, for targeted ads.
- Recruitment Brokers: Collect personal information for profile screening and evaluation by HR services.
- Risk Mitigation Brokers: Deal with background information, including criminal profiles, to provide risk reports to businesses.
- Financial Information Brokers: Collect financial and related background information for banks and financial intermediaries to create a credit profile.
- Health Information Brokers: Collect and sell health-related information to third parties, who can target you with ads about insurance and healthcare products.
Once you’ve created an account, you can get a detailed view of the different brokers Incogni works with. Below is a glimpse of some of the leading data brokers in Incogni’s network.
What kind of data does Incogni remove?
So, Incogni works with several different brokers, but exactly what data does it request they remove?
| Kind of Data | Removed by Incogni |
|---|---|
| Name | ✔ |
| Age and Date of Birth | ✔ |
| Phone Number | ✔ |
| Email Address | ✔ |
| Physical Address | ✔ |
| Associated Family Members | ✔ |
| Financial Information | ✔ |
As you can tell, Incogni removes a whole host of personal data that can be used to profile you online. We noticed a significant drop in pesky messages and spam advertising emails a few days after signing up for Incogni.
What is a data broker?
Also known as information brokers or data resellers, data broker companies collect all kinds of information about you, including your name, gender, age, telephone number, and residential address, as well as your purchasing history, interests, occupation, and education level. This information is sold to advertisers who use it to serve personalized advertisements.
Data brokers obtain their information from government records in some cases, but mostly from your browsing history and social media. Most online services and brokers use techniques like browser fingerprinting to create detailed profiles of users.
While we recommend using a good private search engine for more anonymity online, it is not enough. A service like Incogni removes any personal data brokers collect about you and prevents them from selling it.
Data removal of related profiles
Incogni’s data removal requests are not limited to the name, email, and phone number you provide. Instead, the service digs through its directory to find profiles that may be similar to yours.
This helps identify other potential aliases of profiles under which your personal data is being collected, ensuring comprehensive data removal. During our tests, Ingocni discovered profiles with similarly named people living in proximate areas.
Incogni Customer support
Incogni’s customer service options are somewhat limited. We could not call a number, nor was there a live chat option. However, Incogni data removal service provides reliable email support through this address: [email protected].
We tested its customer service for this Incogni review by sending them some questions, and we received a detailed response within an hour.
Furthermore, Incogni has a useful knowledge base covering the data removal process, dealing with data brokers, and more. We even used some of its data opt-out guides to prevent sites from storing our personal data.
However, this was a time-consuming process that highlights the benefits of using an automated service like Incogni.
Check out our article on deleting yourself from the internet to learn more about how to remove additional information from the web
How Does Incogni Work? Our Experience Setting Up an Incogni Account
Ready to learn more about how to wipe your personal data with Incogni? In the following sections, we’ll go over the various steps involved in setting up Incogni, starting with creating an account.
Creating an Incogni account
- Head over to the Incogni website.
- Click on the “Get Started” button in the top right corner of the screen.
- Choose between the annual and monthly plans. The annual plan is 50% cheaper for every month.
- Fill in your email address, country, and postal code. Remember, the service is only available in the UK, US, Canada, and the European Union (EU).
- Select your preferred payment method. You can pay via ApplePay, PayPal, or a credit card.
- Verify your email using the verification link you receive from Incogni.
- On clicking the link above, you will be prompted to create a password for your account. We used a password manager to create a strong password for our Incogni account.
- Provide the additional information that Incogni requires, including your name and address.
- Sign the authorization form, which enables Incogni to send data removal requests on your behalf.
Your Incogni account is now set up. With that done, we can now explore how the service’s dashboard works and how you can get the most out of it.
Navigating the Incogni dashboard
Unlike some of its competitors, Incogni does not have a mobile or desktop app. Instead, it can only be used through the dashboard on its website. That said, the dashboard is very easy to use and should take no time to learn.
After creating your account, you’re directed to the online dashboard, which presents a lot of information at a glance. For instance, you can view how many data removal requests Incogni has raised, how many are pending, and how many have been completed.
From here, you can navigate to the activity log, which provides a comprehensive view of the data removal requests Incogni has submitted on your behalf.
Finally, you can opt to provide Incogni with additional information, such as your phone number and date of birth. Some data brokers require this information to honor data removal requests. We noticed that the number of data brokers Ingocni sent requests increased when we provided it with this information.
Incogni detailed view and report
In addition to the consolidated information on the dashboard, the Incogni website has a detailed view section. This shows you more in-depth information about each data removal request, divided across personal and public databases.
In addition to the status of the request, you can also see its sensitivity score, which refers to the threat the broker poses to your privacy and the average time it takes the broker to comply with a request. It also shows how quickly and reliably the data broker removes data when presented with a request.
We also received email updates from Incogni, which highlighted the number of data removal requests it had sent and how many had been completed.
Is Incogni Safe?
We expect a high level of privacy and security from a data removal service, especially one developed by Surfshark. This virtual private network provider is known for its privacy, so we had high expectations.
Incogni did not let us down on this! We found that it handles customer data well and collects as little information as possible. However, it does request certain information from you and has (temporary) marketing cookies. Let’s take a closer look!
How much information does Incogni store?
We studied Incogni’s privacy policy and found that it collects and stores the following data about you:
- Device information: How you navigate the Incogni website (through analytics and marketing cookies)
- Personal data: Your full name, address, and date of birth
- Account information: Your email and password
Why does Incogni require this data? Well, Incogni needs accurate personal information to function. They can’t make data removal requests on incomplete or inaccurate data.
One thing to note is that the Incogni data removal tool’s website has (temporary) Google Ads cookies. However, this is par for the course when using Google Analytics, and we have no reason to assume foul play.
When trying out the service for this review, we were also happy to see that Incogni doesn’t sell your data to third parties!
Is Incogni Worth It? Why Use a Service Like Incogni?
You might be wondering if you need a service like Incogni at all. Why pay for something when you can send out removal requests yourself? There are two reasons why you may find Incogni useful:
Time
Sending data removal requests by yourself can take several hours since there are over 4,000 data brokers out there. Moreover, you’ll have to resend them to ensure brokers don’t add your data again. Incogni takes care of the entire data removal process for you. Indeed, it saved us more than 620 hours during our trial.
Effectiveness
With so many data broker companies on the market, it’s difficult to know which ones have your personal information on file. Besides, data brokers may slow down the process by requiring you to complete complex forms and make all kinds of verification requests. A service like Incogni is built to jump through these hoops.
Incogni’s data removal service is backed by a knowledgeable legal team, and the company uses algorithms that pinpoint exactly which brokers have your information. If you’d like to see how Incogni works, you can use its 30-day free trial.
While using Incogni helps remove personal data that’s already on the web, it doesn’t prevent that data from being collected by websites and other online platforms. If you’d like to stop your data from being harvested online, check out our guide to browsing the internet anonymously.
Incogni Alternatives: How does Incogni compare with other data removal services?
The growing risks to privacy online have led to the emergence of several data removal services, each with its unique advantages. Our team frequently test and review leading data removal services, allowing us to compare them effectively.
The table below summarises key differences between the leading data removal services.
| Feature | Lowest Monthly Price | Lowest Annual Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incogni | $6.49/month | $77.88/year | Simple and cheap data removal |
| OneRep | $8.33/month | $99.96/year | Detailed data removal reports |
| DeleteMe | $8.71/month (2-year sub) | $129/year | Advanced security options such as email masking |
| Kanary | $14.99/month | $179.88/year | Continuous threat monitoring and reporting |
Incogni is more affordable than its competitors. While it may lack some advanced features, it more than makes up for it in how simple and easy it is. For a deeper dive into each of the providers listed above, check out our ranking of the best data removal services.
Should You Get Incogni? The Expert Verdict
After testing the Incogni data removal process, we’re fully convinced that it’s a worthy investment.
You will save a lot of time, prevent 180+ data collectors from selling your sensitive data, and you can trust that pending removal requests will continue to be processed even after you cancel your account.
More importantly, it’s a very easy tool to set up and use. Due to its affordable subscription plans, Incogni is a great option for people who are concerned about their privacy but are short on time and money. If you sign up today, you can save 50% with Incogni’s annual plan.
If you want to learn more about online privacy and how you can safeguard your personal information, check out these articles and reviews:
- How to Browse the Internet Anonymously
- The Best Private Email Providers
- Take Charge of Your Google Privacy Settings
If you have a question about Incogni, check out the FAQ section below. Click on a question to read the answer.
Incogni is a privacy tool that automates data removal requests on your behalf. In other words, it ensures data brokers don’t have your personal information in their databases.
Incogni requires a subscription (monthly or annual plan) to send data removal requests on your behalf. However, it offers a free 30-day trial, which you can use to test its features.
Yes, Incogni is legit. The privacy service excels at predicting which data brokers have your data, sending them removal requests on your behalf, and providing progress reports.
Also, it was developed by Surfshark, an excellent cybersecurity company that has no records of data breaches. Learn more about Surfshark in our Surfshark review.
Incogni’s cheapest monthly plan costs $12.99. If you opt for the yearly plan, you’ll pay only half, at $6.49 per month ($77.88 annually).
Incogni and DeleteMe are both great data removal services. While Incogni is cheaper and easy to use, DeleteMe packs a slew of advanced features. If you’re new to the world of data removal, we’d suggest trying out Incogni and graduating to DeleteMe if you feel the need. You can also read our DeleteMe review to see how both services compare.
