Why should you use Incogni or Optery to remove your data?

Incogni and Optery are data removal services that work on your behalf to get your personal information wiped from data broker databases. These brokers — and there are hundreds of them — collect and sell your name, address, phone number, income estimates, family members, and more, often without you ever knowing. Both Incogni and Optery automate the painful process of sending removal requests so you don't have to do it yourself.

You might be wondering: does this stuff really matter? Honestly, yes — more than most people realize. Data brokers are a massive, mostly invisible industry, and your information is almost certainly already out there being bought and sold right now. Let me walk you through five solid reasons why using a service like Incogni or Optery is a smart move for your privacy.

Why does data broker removal actually matter?

Here's the thing most people don't think about: your personal data isn't just sitting in one place. It's scattered across dozens — sometimes hundreds — of different data broker websites. Companies like Spokeo, WhitePages, BeenVerified, and Acxiom aggregate your information from public records, social media, loyalty programs, and other sources, then package it up and sell it to marketers, landlords, employers, and frankly, anyone willing to pay.

The result? Spam calls from numbers you've never heard of. Creepy targeted ads that seem to know things about you. Strangers being able to look up where you live with a simple Google search. In some cases, it can even lead to more serious problems like identity theft or stalking. I think a lot of people underestimate how exposed they really are until something goes wrong.

Using a VPN like ProtonVPN is a great first step — it hides your IP address and encrypts your traffic so your browsing habits stay private. But a VPN doesn't erase data that's already been collected about you. That's where Incogni and Optery come in. They tackle the problem from a completely different angle, going after the data that's already out there and demanding it be removed.

According to VPNTierLists.com, combining a strong VPN with a data removal service is one of the most effective one-two punches for personal privacy in 2026. It's not a perfect solution — nothing is — but it covers two very different attack surfaces at once.

5 reasons to use Incogni or Optery

Reason 1: They save you an enormous amount of time. If you've ever tried to manually opt out of data broker sites, you know how brutal it is. Each site has its own removal process. Some want you to submit a form. Others want a photo ID. Some require you to create an account just to delete your data — which feels pretty ironic. Going through even 20 or 30 of these sites on your own can take hours, and there are well over 100 major brokers out there. Incogni contacts 180+ data brokers on your behalf, and Optery covers a similarly large list. They handle the back-and-forth so you don't have to spend your weekend doing it.

Reason 2: They keep sending removal requests, not just once. This is something people often miss. Data brokers don't just delete your info and leave it gone forever. They regularly re-acquire data from new sources, which means your information can creep back in weeks or months after you've had it removed. Both Incogni and Optery monitor for this and send recurring removal requests to make sure your data stays off these sites. It's not a one-and-done thing — it's ongoing protection. That's a big deal.

Reason 3: You get actual transparency about what's been removed. One thing I personally appreciate about both services is that they show you what they've found and what they've done about it. Optery in particular gives you a pretty detailed dashboard where you can see exactly which brokers had your information and what the current removal status is. Incogni also provides progress reports. This visibility is reassuring — you're not just paying for something and hoping it works. You can actually see the results.

Reason 4: It reduces spam, robocalls, and unwanted marketing. A lot of the spam calls and junk emails you get are a direct result of your contact information being sold by data brokers to marketing companies. When you get your data removed from these sources, you're cutting off one of the main pipelines that feeds those annoying calls and emails. It won't eliminate everything overnight, but many users report a noticeable reduction in spam after a few months of using a removal service. That alone is worth something.

Reason 5: It protects you from more serious privacy threats. Beyond just annoying ads, having your personal information widely available creates real security risks. Scammers use data broker sites to gather information for phishing attacks — they can find your name, employer, neighborhood, and family members, then craft a very convincing fake email or phone call. Stalkers and harassers can use these sites to track someone's location. Identity thieves can piece together enough information to open accounts in your name. Getting your data removed doesn't eliminate these risks entirely, but it does make you a much harder target.

Incogni vs Optery — which one should you pick?

Both are solid services, but they work a little differently. Incogni is made by Surfshark and is very much a hands-off, automated service. You sign up, give it authorization to act on your behalf, and it gets to work. It's simple and straightforward, which is great if you don't want to think about it too much. It covers 180+ data brokers and sends recurring removal requests automatically.

Optery gives you a bit more control and visibility. Their dashboard is more detailed, and they offer a free tier that lets you see which brokers have your data — though you'll need a paid plan to actually automate the removals. Optery also has different pricing tiers depending on how many brokers you want covered, which can be nice if you want to start small and scale up.

So which one is better? Honestly, it depends on what you want. If you just want to set it and forget it, Incogni is probably the easier pick. If you want more visibility and control over the process, Optery might suit you better. Some privacy-conscious people actually use both, though that's probably overkill for most folks.

Either way, using one of these services alongside a good VPN like ProtonVPN gives you a much more complete privacy setup than most people have. ProtonVPN protects your online activity going forward, while Incogni or Optery cleans up the data trail you've already left behind. That combination is genuinely powerful.

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal for data brokers to sell my information? Unfortunately, yes — in most cases it is. Data brokers operate in a legal gray area in the US, pulling from public records and other legally available sources. Some states like California have stronger privacy laws (like the CCPA) that give residents more rights, but federally there's still limited protection. Services like Incogni and Optery use existing opt-out rights to remove your data, which is also completely legal.

How long does it take to see results? It varies. Some brokers process removal requests within a few days. Others can take weeks or even months. Incogni typically shows significant progress within 30 to 60 days, and Optery's timeline is similar. Don't expect everything to disappear overnight — this is a gradual process, especially since some brokers are slower to comply than others.

Do I need a VPN if I'm already using Incogni or Optery? Yes, and here's why — they solve different problems. Incogni and Optery remove data that's already been collected about you. A VPN like ProtonVPN prevents new data from being collected by hiding your IP address and encrypting your internet traffic. One cleans up the past, the other protects your future. You really want both working together for solid privacy coverage.

Will my data ever come back after removal? It can, yes. Data brokers continuously update their databases, and your information might get re-added from a new source. That's exactly why both Incogni and Optery offer ongoing, recurring removal requests rather than a one-time cleanup. As long as you stay subscribed, they keep monitoring and re-submitting requests as needed.

Should you use Incogni or Optery?

If you care at all about your personal privacy — and you should — then yes, using a data removal service is absolutely worth it. The combination of time savings, ongoing protection, and reduced risk from spam and more serious threats makes services like Incogni and Optery a genuinely smart investment. They're not magic, and they won't make you completely invisible, but they do tackle a real problem that most people don't even know they have.

My recommendation? Start with Incogni if you want something simple and automated. Pair it with ProtonVPN to cover your ongoing browsing privacy. Between those two tools, you'll have a much stronger privacy posture than the average person — and that's really the goal. You don't have to be perfect, you just have to make yourself a harder target than most.

If you want to dig deeper into VPN options and privacy tools, VPNTierLists.com has solid comparisons and rankings to help you figure out what setup makes the most sense for your situation.

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