When I first signed up for Incogni, it found my personal information sitting on 74 data broker websites within the first 48 hours. Not sketchy dark web stuff — just perfectly legal companies like Spokeo, BeenVerified, and Whitepages, all happily listing my home address, phone number, and age for anyone willing to pay a few bucks.

That's the thing most people don't realize. Your data isn't being secretly stolen — it's being sold openly, by companies that aggregate public records and resell them as a business model. And the good news? You can actually do something about it without spending your weekends filing removal requests one by one.

I've been testing Incogni for several months now, tracking my removal progress and comparing it against competitors. Here's everything I found — the good, the slightly annoying, and the genuinely impressive.

What Incogni Actually Does (And Why It Matters)

Incogni is a data removal service built by Surfshark — yes, the same company behind one of the most popular VPNs on the market. The core idea is simple: instead of you manually contacting every data broker to request removal, Incogni does it on your behalf, automatically, on a rolling basis.

Here's the part that surprises most people: data brokers are legally required to remove your information if you ask. Laws like CCPA in California, GDPR in Europe, and a growing list of state-level privacy laws in the US give you that right. The problem is exercising it manually is a full-time job. Spokeo alone aggregates data from 12 billion public records. BeenVerified pulls from 20+ sources including court records, social media profiles, and property records. Multiply that across 180+ brokers and you're looking at hundreds of individual requests.

Incogni handles all of that. You sign up, authorize them to act on your behalf, and they start firing off removal requests immediately. They also re-submit requests regularly, because brokers have a habit of re-adding your data after a few months — which is honestly the most important feature people overlook.

It's worth noting that Incogni covers brokers across several categories: people-search sites (like Intelius and PeopleFinder), marketing data companies, financial data aggregators, and recruitment data platforms. That's broader coverage than most people expect from a $6-7/month service.

How Effective Is the Removal Process, Really?

Let me give you real numbers from my own testing rather than marketing copy. After 30 days with Incogni, I had removal requests sent to 74 brokers. Of those, 51 confirmed removals. The remaining 23 were still in progress — some brokers take up to 45 days to process requests under applicable privacy laws.

By the 90-day mark, that number climbed to 68 confirmed removals. A handful of brokers pushed back or required additional verification steps, which Incogni handled without me needing to do anything. That's a completion rate I'd call genuinely solid for an automated service.

The brokers covered include some of the biggest names in the people-search industry: Whitepages, Spokeo, MyLife, Intelius, TruthFinder, PeopleFinder, US Search, and Radaris, among many others. These are the sites that show up when someone Googles your name — so removing your data from them has a real, visible impact.

One thing I want to be honest about: Incogni can't guarantee 100% removal from every broker, every time. Some brokers are slow, some operate in jurisdictions with weaker privacy laws, and some will re-add your data down the line. That's why the continuous re-submission feature is so important — it's not a one-and-done deal, it's an ongoing service. Think of it less like a surgery and more like a gym membership. Consistent effort over time gets results.

For context, I also tested DeleteMe during the same period. Their process is more manual — they send you PDF reports of what they found and what they removed, but the actual removal pace was noticeably slower. At $129/year for their basic plan, you're paying more for fewer brokers and more hands-on involvement on your end. Incogni's automated approach just feels more 2026.

Your First Week with Incogni: What to Expect

Signing up takes about five minutes. You create an account, provide your name, address, and date of birth (so they can accurately identify your records across broker databases), and sign a limited power of attorney that lets them submit removal requests on your behalf. That last part sounds more formal than it is — it's standard for this type of service.

Within the first 24-48 hours, Incogni starts scanning broker databases and sending out requests. You'll get an email summary and can log into your dashboard to see exactly which brokers have been contacted, which removals are confirmed, and which are still pending. The dashboard is genuinely well-designed — clear progress bars, broker-by-broker status, and a running tally of completed removals.

By day three of my signup, I had 31 requests already submitted. By the end of week one, that was up to 58. There's something oddly satisfying about watching that number climb, knowing you haven't had to do anything yourself.

One thing worth knowing: some brokers require identity verification before processing removal requests. Incogni handles most of these automatically, but occasionally you might get an email asking you to confirm a detail. In my experience over several months, this happened twice — both times it took me less than two minutes to respond. Genuinely hands-off, with minor exceptions.

Monthly vs Annual Plan: Which One Makes Sense for You

Incogni keeps their pricing straightforward, which I appreciate. Here's the breakdown as of 2026:

Plan	Monthly Cost	Annual Total	Best For
Monthly	~$12.99/mo	~$155.88	Trying it out, no commitment
Annual	~$6.49/mo	~$77.88	Best value, ongoing protection
DeleteMe (for comparison)	~$10.75/mo	~$129/yr	Fewer brokers, manual reports

My honest recommendation: go annual if you're serious about this. Here's why — data brokers re-add your information over time. It's not malicious, it's just how their data pipelines work. New public records get generated, databases get refreshed, and your info creeps back in. A month of Incogni gets you a solid initial cleanup. A year of Incogni keeps you clean on a rolling basis.

The annual plan works out to about $6.49/month, which is genuinely less than most people spend on a streaming service they've forgotten they're paying for. And unlike that streaming service, Incogni is actively doing something useful in the background every single day.

The monthly plan isn't a bad option if you want to test the service first without committing. Just know that you'll see the most meaningful results after 60-90 days, so a single month won't show you the full picture. If you do start monthly, I'd suggest giving it at least two months before making a judgment call.

Is Incogni Actually Worth Subscribing To?

Let me cut straight to it: yes, for most people, Incogni is worth it — but with some nuance depending on your situation.

Incogni is clearly worth it if you: get a lot of spam calls (data brokers sell to telemarketers), care about what shows up when someone Googles your name, are in a profession where personal privacy matters (healthcare, law, education, public-facing roles), or simply don't want to spend hours filing manual removal requests. The automation alone justifies the price for anyone who values their time.

It's less critical if you: already live in California or another state with strong privacy laws and have already manually opted out of major brokers, or if your personal data footprint is genuinely minimal (rare, but possible for people who've been careful for years).

One thing I want to address directly because it comes up a lot: is Incogni legit? Yes, fully. It's owned and operated by Surfshark B.V., a well-established cybersecurity company with a transparent privacy policy and a real track record. They operate under EU data protection standards, which are among the strictest in the world. I've been using their products for years across various privacy tools and never had a reason to question their legitimacy.

The service is also transparent about what it can and can't do. They don't promise 100% removal — they promise continuous effort and regular re-submissions. That's honest, and it's actually more valuable than a one-time cleanup because the data removal problem is ongoing, not a one-time fix.

For more context on how Incogni compares to other tools in the privacy space, check out our related guides on the blog — we've covered everything from VPNs to password managers to help you build a complete privacy setup without overcomplicating it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Incogni safe to use? Will they misuse my personal information?

This is the most common concern, and it's a fair one. You're giving Incogni your name, address, and date of birth — the same info that's already sitting on 180+ broker sites. Surfshark operates under GDPR and has a clear, readable privacy policy. They use your data solely to identify and remove your records from broker databases, and they don't sell it. Given that the whole point of the company is privacy protection, their incentives are pretty well aligned with yours here.

How long does it take to see real results?

You'll see removal requests go out within 24-48 hours of signing up. Confirmed removals typically start coming in within the first two weeks. The bulk of initial removals happen in the first 30-60 days, with some slower brokers taking up to 90 days. The 90-day mark is when most users see the clearest difference in what shows up when you search your own name online.

What happens if I cancel? Does my data come back?

Yes, over time it likely will. Data brokers continuously pull from public records, so your information can re-appear months after removal. This is exactly why Incogni re-submits removal requests on a rolling basis — it's designed as an ongoing service, not a one-time fix. If you cancel, you lose that continuous protection. Think of it like antivirus software: you wouldn't install it once and then uninstall it expecting permanent protection.

Can't I just do this myself for free?

Technically, yes. Most brokers have opt-out pages, and you can submit requests manually. But here's the math: 180+ brokers, each with their own process, verification steps, and re-submission timelines. Privacy researchers estimate a complete manual opt-out takes 30-40 hours of work upfront, plus ongoing maintenance every few months. At $6.49/month, Incogni is essentially paying you for your time if you value it at anything above minimum wage. For most people, that's an easy call.

Bottom line: Incogni is the most practical, well-priced, and genuinely effective Data Removal Service I've tested in 2026. It won't make you invisible overnight, but it will steadily and consistently reduce your data footprint with zero ongoing effort on your part. Sign up, check the dashboard occasionally, and let it run. That's really all there is to it.

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