How to remove personal data from data-broker sites (Spoiler: I use Incogni)

I’ll never forget when my son, Ian, asked me where in Los Angeles I lived. I told him I couldn’t remember — it was 30 years ago, and I lived there for maybe six months. A few minutes later, he called and had the address. It was available for free to anyone on the internet on an online people search directory.
There are an estimated 4,000 companies and sites that collect personal info, and they make it extremely hard to get your data removed. Why? Because they profit big time selling it.
Search for your name online and I bet you’ll find yourself listed all over the place. It’s not just public records like your name, address and phone number, either. (Though, yes, I did find my personal cell listed online, too.) Data breaches and leaks mean everything from your banking info to your Social Security number is floating around the internet.
My mission to remove personal information online
It goes way beyond your contact info and personal details like your SSN. Data brokers capture exactly who you are by way of thousands of data points. We’re talking about the car you drive, the places you go out to eat more often, your favorite coffee brand, who else lives in your house … I could go on.
I got fed up with how much about me was out there, so I went on a mission to delete as much as I could. My first stop were data broker sites that collect, store and sell personal data.
Advertisers are one of their biggest customers, but they’re not the only ones. It could be hackers, identity thieves, job recruiters digging for extra info, insurance companies, real estate agents, financial institutions or even nosy neighbors looking to find out more about you.
Here’s a quick look at how to remove personal data from data broker sites:
- Search for your data on people search sites
- Request removal from each site
- Track your removal requests and follow up
- Regularly check that your data has been removed
You have to do this for each site. Yeah, it’s a lot of work. I spent 36 hours emailing the scummy sites, filling out forms, making calls and even sending letters by USPS. I gave up when I had no real progress. That’s when I researched services to do this for me.
I tried three, and I ultimately picked Incogni. The company finds and automatically pulls your info from 190+ data-broker companies and sites that sell it to anyone willing to pay.
How Incogni and data broker removal services work
Sign up and create an account. (Heads up, this link gets you a year of Incogni’s privacy protection for 60% off.) You’ll need to give your full name, email address, home address, phone number and birthday. Sites require this info to remove your data, so you’d do that whether or not you use Incogni. You’ll also grant Incogni permission to reach out on your behalf.
After you finish the setup process, you’ll see your custom dashboard. It lists sites you’ve been removed from immediately along with pending requests. Be aware that by law, these companies have up to 45 days to respond to your removal requests. Most wait until the last minute and keep your info up as long as possible.
That said, I saw results almost immediately and lots more sites had removed me from their databases within 48 hours.

OK, that’s it. Really. Now all that’s left to do is check out the Incogni dashboard now and then to see your progress. Let’s take a closer look.
What personal data Incogni removes from data broker sites
- Marketing data brokers: These companies track details like your browsing history, purchases and interests to serve you targeted ads and other personalized marketing content.
- Recruitment data brokers: They gather personal information for background checks used by recruiters and HR teams. Unfortunately, even a minor error in these reports could impact your job prospects.
- Risk-mitigation brokers: These brokers compile background information, including criminal records and property details, to create reports for investment companies and other businesses evaluating risk.
- People search sites: They build public profiles from data they’ve scraped, offering basic info for free and full profiles for a small fee. They’re the ones you’ve seen right at the top of search engine results.
See the nitty, gritty details
Incogni’s Detailed View tab is a goldmine of info. Here you can see all the sites Incogni has reached out to on your behalf, sortable by a few different metrics:
- Private or public databases: Some data brokers have publicly available databases, while others maintain private databases you must pay to access.
- Compliance score: An indicator of how quickly and reliably data brokers comply with removal requests.
- Severity score: Calculated based on the level of sensitivity and associated risks of the information held by a data broker.
- Request status: In progress or completed.
Click any listing to see a full status update. That includes dates when requests were sent, the associated risks and an overview of what that data broker does. DataStream, for example, has thousands of data points (like age, income and ethnicity) on 270 million consumers and 60 million households.
Top Incogni features for data privacy protection
These are the ones that sold me.
It’s easy to use: Going the DIY route in removing yourself from data brokers and people search sites takes a surprising amount of tech savvy. I can do it, sure, but it’s a pain. Incogni is simple and intuitive. After you make an account, you’re done.
It saves time and effort: My favorite part of the Incogni dashboard is the box that shows how much long it would have taken to do all this yourself. In my case, Incogni has saved me 471 hours and 45 minutes. That’s almost 20 days! Remember, these sites make it as difficult as possible to remove yourself so the process is a major pain. They dig through all the terms and conditions so you don’t have to.

It’s a simple way to take back your privacy: Putting in my cell number and primary email address has cut my spam and scam texts and calls down to zero. I didn’t think the impact would be so big, but it really is. After all, all the scammers and spammers have to get your info somewhere. Think of Incogni’s service as a way to stop it at the source.
They go above and beyond: Everyone I know has lived in multiple places and had different numbers and email addresses over the years. Data broker and people search sites have a trick: They can treat each set of data about you as its own profile. That means even if you get them to delete one, there may be another with different info attached. With Incogni, you can add three different email addresses, physical addresses and phone numbers.
Follow-ups on your behalf: Incogni doesn’t just submit a one-time removal request and move on. It follows up with data brokers to make sure they comply. The user dashboard shows you exactly which companies have removed your data and which ones are still processing requests. This level of transparency stuck out to me from day one.

Affordable price and no scummy tricks: Similar services charge hundreds of dollars for manual removal. A couple are cheaper, but all they do is show you the page to go to to remove your info. No thanks.
With Incogni, it’s clear up front how much you’re paying and you can save even more by committing to an annual plan. More on that below.
Important things to know before using Incogni
Not every data broker follows the law. Although many of them follow through with removal requests, some might refuse, citing their own terms or legal requirements. Incogni can’t guarantee that every data broker will comply, but they do fight on your behalf.
One thing they can do is request to put your name on permanent data suppression lists, which is amazing. This means companies that agree can never legally sneak you back on.

It doesn’t cover every type of data. Incogni is designed primarily to target data brokers and people search sites. It doesn’t cover social media platforms or other services that might have your data. If your personal information is part of a search, social media or corporate database, you’ll need to address those separately.
Finally, support is email only, at support@incogni.com. That said, Incogni’s team is responsive and none of my readers have ever had an issue getting help.
How much does Incogni cost?
Monthly subscription: $14.98 per month for one user
- This plan allows you to use Incogni’s service month-to-month without a long-term commitment.
Annual subscription: $89.88 per year for one user
- This option saves you 50% compared to paying monthly, a much better value if you plan to maintain ongoing privacy protection. It breaks down to $7.49 per month.
For my listeners: With code KIM60 you get an annual plan for $71.88 for the first year, which breaks down to $5.99 per month. Hey, that’s the price of a latte.
For even more savings, go in on a plan with your favorite people. With Incogni’s friends and family plan, you can add up to four people. If you pay monthly, it’s $32.98 a month.
✅ Use code KIM60 to get a year for just $158.30. That breaks down to $13.19 per month for five people, or just $2.63 per person.
Plan | Cost | Details |
---|---|---|
Monthly subscription | $14.98/month for 1 user | Lowest commitment option |
Annual subscription | $89.88/year for 1 user | Saves 50% compared to monthly; $7.49/month |
Annual with Kim’s exclusive discount | $71.88/year for 1 user | Use code KIM60; $5.99/month (first year) |
Friends & Family Plan (Monthly) | $32.98/month for up to 5 users | $6.60/month per person |
Friends & Family Plan (Annual) | $197.88/year for up to 5 users | $3.29/month per person |
Friends & Family Plan (Kim’s exclusive discount) | $158.30/year for up to 5 users | Use code KIM60; $13.19/month total; $2.63/month per person |
Incogni stands behind its service and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not happy, they’ll refund you.
Why an annual subscription to Incogni makes sense for privacy protection
You might think, well, this is one and done, right? I can just do it for a month and be done with it. If only. No data broker service is a one-time fix.
When I was doing it myself, I’d go back to a site and see they’d added me back in, even after I had wiped my profile. That’s legal — as long as they get a new piece of data about you. For the life of your Incogni account, they’ll continue to follow up on your behalf to keep you off the lists. If you cancel, there’s a good chance sites will add you back. That’s just how the data broker business works.
That said, I’ve been impressed with how many new features Incogni has added since I signed up to make that annual payment even more worth it.
✅ Right now, try Incogni for 30 days. If you’re not completely satisfied, you’ll get your money back. Use this link to get 60% off when you sign up for an annual plan. I don’t get any residuals or kickbacks. I’m just glad you can stay safe with the service I use and recommend!
Tags: data brokers, hackers, Incogni, security