Online privacy is a growing concern for many as data brokers and people search sites increasingly collect vast amounts of our personal information. If you‘ve been wondering, "Is Incogni legit and worth it for protecting my data?" then this comprehensive guide is for you.
By the end, you‘ll understand exactly how Incogni works, whether it can really help reclaim your privacy, and additional steps you can take to stay secure online. Let‘s dive in!
Big Data Means Big Privacy Problems
Before we look at Incogni specifically, it‘s important to understand the scope of the problem when it comes to all the consumer data being tracked, stored and sold today. The numbers are staggering:
- Up to 3,000 data brokers worldwide compile information on nearly every US consumer (Source)
- These brokers hold data on 700 million to 1 billion people globally (Source)
- The data broker industry generates over $200 billion in annual revenue (Source)
- At least 75% of US households have had their data compromised by a breach at some point (Source)
This gives you an idea of the sheer scale of data collection by brokers taking place behind the scenes. That‘s why it‘s so challenging to even know where your personal information may be ending up.
What Do Data Brokers Actually Collect?
Data brokers harvest information on consumers from a wide variety of online and offline sources. Some examples of data types commonly collected and sold include:
- Identifying information – Name, address, phone, email, IP address, etc.
- Demographic info – Age, race, gender, education level, occupation, etc.
- Financial data – Income, net worth, home ownership, credit score, etc.
- Commercial data – Browsing history, purchase history, loyalty programs, etc.
- Public records – Bankruptcies, foreclosures, criminal records, licenses, voter registration, etc.
- Social media activity – Posts, connections/network, profile info, etc.
- Geolocation data – Mobile device tracking and real-world movements
This data allows brokers to develop extremely detailed digital profiles on each consumer that marketers can leverage for targeted advertising and more.
How People Search Sites Expose Your Data
People search sites take it a step further by making all this aggregated data searchable online via sites like Spokeo, Intelius, MyLife and others.
A single search on your name exposes a surprising amount of your personal info like age, address history, phone numbers, relatives, criminal records, assets, social media profiles, and more.
Here‘s a real example from MyLife showing the depth of data available:
This high level of exposure raises understandable privacy concerns for many consumers. Read on to see how Incogni offers a potential solution.
An Overview of Incogni‘s Data Removal Service
Incogni is a relatively new online privacy service launched in 2021 by the cybersecurity company Surfshark.
It aims to help users reclaim their privacy by:
- Identifying data brokers and people search sites that have your personal data
- Automatically submitting opt-out requests to have your data removed
- Following up continually until removals are confirmed
- Providing progress reports and removal confirmations
The key advantage Incogni offers is automating this data removal process across a large network of data brokers and people search sites, handling all the opt-out communications behind the scenes.
Here‘s a quick 60-second video overview of how Incogni works:
This saves you the hassle of trying to manage data removal requests manually site by site. But how well does it actually work? Let‘s analyze Incogni‘s legitimacy across some key factors:
Evaluating Incogni‘s Effectiveness
Removal Power and Reliability
Incogni claims to have a network of over 180 data brokers that it contacts to opt you out of data sharing. This includes major brokers like Acxiom, LexisNexis, TransUnion and others.
For people search sites, Incogni states it focuses on nearly 60 key sites where your personal info is likely to appear.
So far Incogni has submitted over 2 million removal requests on behalf of users. The company says it achieves over a 90% success rate in getting confirmations from sites removing data.
This large network and high reliability rate gives Incogni significant power to broadly remove your information from both data brokers and people search sites.
Platform Security
Incogni states that top security measures are in place to keep your data safe:
- Encryption – Your data is encrypted both in transit and storage using industry standard methods like AES-256 and TLS 1.2.
- Minimal collection – Incogni only collects the minimal personal identifier info needed for removal requests.
- No selling data – Incogni says it never rents, sells or shares your data with any 3rd parties.
- Bug bounty program – Researchers can report vulnerabilities to improve platform security.
While no service can guarantee 100% security, Incogni appears to follow current best practices when it comes to protecting user data.
Customer Reviews and Reputation
What do real customers have to say about Incogni? User reviews on third-party sites like TrustPilot (4.7/5 stars) and the app stores (4+ stars) are overwhelmingly positive.
The most common feedback is praise for Incogni‘s smooth automated process and responsive customer support. Most say it simplifies data removal far better than trying to do it yourself.
Incogni‘s parent company Surfshark also has a strong industry reputation with over 3,000 employees and 10+ years in cybersecurity.
This adds to the legitimacy of Incogni as a reliable service from an established provider. Negative reviews are rare.
Legal Protections and Compliance
Incogni says its data removal process is designed to make use of consumer rights like:
- CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) – Gives California residents the right to opt-out of data sales.
- GDPR (EU General Data Protection Regulation) – EU citizens can request erasure of personal data.
- FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) – Provides the right to dispute inaccuracies with credit agencies.
Incogni‘s parent company Surfshark displays TRUSTe certification showing compliance with major privacy regulations.
While Incogni does not offer legal advice, they appear to make strong efforts to exercise your data privacy rights.
Step-by-Step Guide to Using Incogni
If you decide to give Incogni‘s automated data removal service a try, here is a step-by-step walkthrough:
Step 1) Go to incogni.com and click Sign Up to create your account. Provide your personal identifiers like name, address, phone, etc.
Step 2) In your Incogni dashboard, you can see data brokers contacted. Click "Results in Progress" to view removal details.
Step 3) Check the status page frequently. "Pending" means awaiting confirmation. Incogni automatically re-submits requests if needed.
Step 4) When a site confirms removal, you‘ll get an email from Incogni. Download removal reports from your account.
Step 5) Keep monitoring your dashboard and reports. Incogni continually verifies your data stays removed over time.
Here‘s a 1-minute video walking through the simple Incogni user experience:
Overall the process is smooth and Incogni handles everything behind the scenes. Now let‘s discuss whether Incogni is worth paying for.
Pricing Breakdown: Is Incogni Worth the Money?
Incogni offers two main pricing options:
- Monthly – $9.99 per month
- 1 Year – $79 per year (saves you $59)
Considering competitors like DeleteMe and Privacy Duck charge around $129 annually, Incogni comes in at a more affordable price point.
You‘re paying primarily for convenience of automation. But Incogni says you‘d have to spend 30+ hours handling the removal process yourself across 180+ sites. So for many, paying Incogni to simplify data removal is worthwhile, at least for an initial clean-up.
Right now Incogni is offering my viewers an exclusive 40% discount for your first year:
[CTA Button]In my opinion the automation and re-verification Incogni provides is worth spending a little money to significantly improve your online privacy. But protection doesn‘t stop there…
Beyond Incogni: Tips for Further Securing Your Privacy
While Incogni can help remove a lot of your existing profile data, you‘ll want to take additional measures to minimize future data collection. Here are 5 quick tips:
- Use a password manager – Unique, complex passwords on every account.
- Enable 2-factor authentication – Adds an extra layer of account security.
- Monitor your credit – Catch any signs of fraud from potential identity theft.
- Limit social media – Be wary of oversharing personal info publicly.
- Use a VPN – Encrypts your internet traffic to hide online activity.
Check out my additional guides on each topic to lock down every aspect of your privacy. With smart tools like Incogni and good data hygiene, you can dramatically reduce your digital footprint.
The Bottom Line: Incogni Legitimately Reclaims Online Privacy
In my opinion, Incogni is a legitimate and helpful service for regaining control over your personal data. By automating removal requests across a large network of brokers and search sites, Incogni simplifies the tedious process of opting-out.
No service can promise complete data removal or privacy. But Incogni‘s automated approach represents your best shot at getting your info deleted from most large sources of consumer data tracking and exposure.
If privacy is a priority for you in 2023, Incogni should be strongly considered for cleaning up your digital footprint. Combined with sound online practices, you can minimize the amount of personal data available to misuse by corporations and criminals alike.
Have any other questions about Incogni or data privacy? Let me know in the comments! I‘m here to help you take control of your data.
