Incogni Review - Can It REALLY Remove Your Data? [2023]

What Is Incogni?

Internet privacy is taken very seriously. And for a good reason.

It’s an age where your personal information may be sold off or used for marketing purposes by countless businesses. It’s only natural that as many people as possible would want control over what their data is being used for.

Though sometimes, it can feel a bit futile.

That’s where this tool comes in handy.

Surfshark developed Incogni in 2021 as a way to remove your personal information from data brokers and people search sites across the internet. You may know them best from their VPN products. So it makes sense they would also be responsible for Incogni.

So what does it do?

Simply put, it contacts brokers who may have your personal data and asks them to remove it. It’s a subscription-based service that could prove invaluable to those looking to control how their information is used.

Incogni is a pretty new tool, about two years old, but it already has over 120 data brokers in its database and 60+ people search sites, with plans to add more in the future.

What Is a Data Broker?

Like similar data removal services, Incogni targets data brokers who may have your personal information.

Okay, but what is a data broker, exactly?

They are companies that collect info from internet users and then sell it to third parties. They gather it from the websites and services you visit and then sell it to companies for various purposes like targeted marketing.

What kind of information could they have on you?

Frighteningly, almost anything about you. Your full name, address, occupation, where you live and work, browsing habits, and interests. All this and more…

In simple terms, data brokers are sources of information for other businesses.

Seeing Incogni reviews mention 180 data brokers in the database, you might think the number isn’t enough. However, these aren’t just 180 websites from which your data will be removed. Rather, these are the entities that so much more websites rely on for their documentation.

Ultimately, Incogni’s goal is to remove your info from most of the internet altogether.

People search site addition to their broker list is the latest big upgrade. What are they?

People search sites give total strangers access to personal information, from your contact details to interests. It exposes people to stalking, harassment, discrimination, scams, and identity theft. The PSS data removals prevent you from becoming a target.

How Does Incogni Work?

Let’s get down to business.

Incogni is a data removal software. But how effective is it in actually doing so online?

Data Removal Requests

Upon registration, Incogni asks for your information, such as your name and address.

Now, we know what you’re thinking.

Isn’t it a bit paradoxical to have to give such info so you could get it erased? Is Incogni legit in its claims of data removal?

Here is how it works.

Simply put, Incogni just needs to know what to look for. In other words, the information you give Incogni will act as your ID, of sorts. This will be the data the service will put requests for removal.

Once that is sent, the data brokers have between 30 and 45 days to respond.

Of course, more often, it takes just a few days to get a reply.

List of Data Brokers

As of January 2023, Incogni claims to have over 120 of them in its database + more than 60 people search sites.

This means that your personal information will be removed from every website relying on one of these 180+ brokers.

But is that enough?

Not necessarily.

180 is a large number, for sure. But this list misses some of the most prominent players in the game, like Acxiom, Epsilon, or Equifax. So using Incogni will erase a large portion of your internet presence, that’s true. But it won’t get rid of all of it.

However, that’s not the whole story.

Like other data removal services, Incogni constantly adds new data brokers to its list. And whenever a new company is added, the service automatically removes your information from its database. If you have an active subscription, that is.

How Your Data is Handled

If you’re going to be giving Incogni your info, you obviously need to trust it. So can you?

When you make an account and start using the service, Incogni gets to work. It uses algorithms to predict which data brokers are most likely to have what concerns you. Then, through power of attorney, it puts in requests to remove it on your behalf.

Everything is automatic. You don’t need to do anything but keep an eye on the progress.

It’s important to note that according to Surfshark, Incogni is only available in the following regions:

• United States
• Canada
• European Union
• United Kingdom
• Switzerland

And there’s a good reason for this.

That’s because the service can only work with data covered by the GDPR, CCPA, and PIPEDA. Those are data protection laws active in the US, Canada, and most of Europe.

If you live in a region that isn’t subject to these regulations, Incogni won’t be available for you.

What Is a Power of Attorney?

After you sign up, at some point, you will be asked to sign a power of attorney.

What is that, and why is it necessary?

Incogni uses power of attorney to issue data removal requests on your behalf. It is the document that gives the service the ability to function on its own.

By signing it, you are essentially saying that you agree to let Incogni represent you.

POA is crucial to the service’s automated nature—it’s what makes it possible and convenient over doing everything manually. Of course, you will have the opportunity to review the document before signing.

So this is the document that permits the issuing of data removal requests. If you do not sign it, the service won’t be able to contact data brokers, which is its primary function. Thus, you need to sign the Incogni power of attorney to use the program.

Ease of Use and Interface

Incogni is a simple program.

But that doesn’t mean it’s bare-bones. Far from it.

Its user interface is self-explanatory and easy to understand. Everything is managed through the central dashboard of your profile. This is also the place where you can keep track of all of your data removal requests.

But there is more.

The dashboard also includes a bunch of tips on how to best handle the process and FAQs about the service itself.

Have any further questions?

The Help section of the website contains tons of useful information about nearly everything you can think of. As long as it pertains to the service, that is.

Now, let’s discuss how exactly you can track your requests.

Data removal services work automatically, and Incogni is no exception. On your central dashboard, you can see how many data brokers have been contacted with such requests. These are all companies that Incogni has determined are likely to hold your information.

All you have to do is click on Results in Progress. This is where it gets interesting.

Each of those data brokers is given a rating based on how sensitive the information they’re collecting is. It’s measured in points—the more sensitive the data, the higher the score.

Finally, whenever a process has been completed, you will see it reflected on the dashboard chart.

Pricing

The service’s pricing model is pretty simple.

Your Incogni cost is going to vary depending on whether you pay monthly or annually. Here are the two options:

• Monthly—$11.49/month
• Annual—$69.48/year ($5.79/month)

There are no additional confusing tiers, no extra fees or purchases, it’s one subscription model for everything. Both the annual and monthly plans give you access to the entire service and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

The downside is that there is no free version nor a free trial of any sort.

However, the annual plan is subject to a 50% discount, which makes for a pretty good deal.

Incogni Review—Verdict

What is Incogni?

It’s a solution that removes your personal information from data brokers and people search sites on the internet, and it does it fairly quickly and efficiently.

Sure, it’s not perfect. It’s not available worldwide, and its list of data brokers isn’t as comprehensive as it could be. But it’s an affordable and easy-to-use software that handles everything for you.

If you want to secure your privacy, hopefully, our Incogni review has given you an idea of where to start.