Incogni
{{Short description|Data-removal service}}
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Incogni is a subscription-based, automated personal information removal service that offers to help users get their personal data removed from data brokers and other companies that may store such data.{{cite web | url=https://www.techradar.com/reviews/incogni | title=Incogni data removal service review | date=27 April 2023 }} Incogni was developed in 2021 by Surfshark, a company primarily known for its VPN service. The service’s servers are located in Germany.{{cite web|access-date=2023-12-11 |date=2022-01-14 |language=en-US |last=TheVPNLab |title=Surfshark introduces Incogni, a powerful privacy control tool |url=https://www.thevpnlab.com/surfshark-introduces-incogni-a-powerful-privacy-control-tool/ |website=The VPN Lab}}
Technology
Incogni acts as a privacy proxy, sending data-removal requests to a wide range of data brokers on behalf of its users.{{cite web | url=https://www.techradar.com/reviews/incogni | title=Incogni data removal service review | date=27 April 2023 }} Its main purpose is to delete personal information, such as email addresses, names, addresses and phone numbers from the databases of such brokers.{{cite web | url=https://kommandotech.com/reviews/incogni-review/ | title=Incogni Review 2025 - KommandoTech Expert Reviews }} The service is fully automated, requiring little-to-no interaction from users after the initial setup.{{cite web | url=https://cybernews.com/privacy-tools/incogni-review/ | title=Incogni review: Remove personal data from the Internet in 2025 | date=6 April 2022 }} As of April 2025, Incogni covered about 200 data brokers.{{cite web | url=https://kommandotech.com/reviews/incogni-review/ | title=Incogni Review 2025 - KommandoTech Expert Reviews }}
Availability
Incogni is more likely to be effective in regions with effective data protection legislation in place, such as the United States, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. These regions require compliance with key data protection regulations, such as the GDPR, the CCPA and PIPEDA.{{cite web | url=https://techjury.net/reviews/incogni-review/ | title=Incogni Review - Can It REALLY Remove Your Data? [2024] - TechJury - Tech Insights, Reports and Analysis | date=31 August 2022 }}{{cite web | url=https://gdpr.eu/right-to-be-forgotten/ | title=Everything you need to know about the "Right to be forgotten" | date=5 November 2018 }}{{cite web | url=https://securiti.ai/blog/ccpa-right-to-delete/ | title=Right to delete under California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) | date=26 May 2021 }}
Comments
Since its inception, Incogni has received generally positive reviews,{{Proveit|date=May 2025}} with critics praising it for its simplicity, efficiency in sending data-removal requests, and automated functionality.{{cite web | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/incogni-review | title=Incogni review: Does the personal data removal tool work? | website=Business Insider }}{{cite web | url=https://www.alleywatch.com/2023/11/how-to-remove-personal-data-from-the-internet/ | title=Removing Personal Data from the Internet: Importance, Challenges, and Steps – AlleyWatch }}
The service has received positive reviews from TechRadar on account of its "reasonable price" and "decent array of features" and from Comparitech on account of its "simple signup process", the fact that it "handles multiple official data removal requests on your behalf" and "provides you with visibility into data brokers’ responses".{{cite web | url=https://www.techradar.com/reviews/incogni | title=Incogni data removal service review | date=27 April 2023 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.comparitech.com/data-privacy-management/reviews/incogni-review/ | title=Incogni Review : Surfshark's Data Removal Tool }}
Noted limitations include the relatively small number of relevant data brokers compared to the massive data-brokerage industry, and that it does not confirm whether or not data brokers comply with requests for data removal.{{cite web | url=https://www.techradar.com/reviews/incogni | title=Incogni data removal service review | date=27 April 2023 }} The lack of a free trial or free version has also been mentioned as a drawback, although Incogni does offer a 30-day, money-back guarantee.{{cite web | url=https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/incogni-vs-deleteme/ | title=Incogni vs DeleteMe: Which is best in 2025? | date=11 October 2023 }}