Top 5 Companies to Remove Data From the Internet & Data Brokers
Updated on: 3 August 2023
If you’re reading this, you’re probably well aware of how your personal information is collected and used online. Odds are, you’ve also experienced firsthand how-time consuming and tedious removing it yourself can be.
When it comes to collecting and disseminating personal information on the internet, data brokers hold the lion’s share of responsibility. Unfortunately, these companies don’t make it easy to opt out of their data aggregation. They use complicated opt-out procedures and make you jump through ridiculous hoops in an effort to hold on to your valuable data.
Fortunately, there are companies that remove information from sites on behalf of the user. These services can save you a lot of time and operate in the background to protect your privacy. However, not all of them operate the same way and some work a little better than others.
Down below, we list our top 5 picks for the best services available on the market today. But before we get to that, here are some questions that can help you form your own opinion on the matter:
Here are the top 5 data removal companies:
- Incogni, at $0.03/data broker Incogni packs the biggest punch at the lowest cost.
- Kanary, good value but does not offer weekly progress reports.
- OneRep, offers only PSS removal. Does not offer 30 days money back guarantee.
- Removaly, offers only PSS removal. Does not offer progress reports, Does not offer 30 days money back guarantee.
- DeleteMe, offers only PSS removal. The priciest option.
If you’re looking for an affordable and effective solution, each one on this list is a viable option.
The table below covers the basic, 1-person plans for data broker removal only.
| Incogni | Kanary | OneRep | Removaly | DeleteMe | |
| Starting price | $6.49/mo | $8.75/mo | $8.33/mo | $9.95/mo | $10.75/mo |
| Value* | $0.03/data broker | 0.04/data broker | 0.04/data broker | 0.16/data broker | 0.23/data broker |
| Number of data brokers covered | 184 | 210 | 193 | 61 | 46 |
| Types of data brokers covered | Marketing Financial Recruitment Risk mitigation People search | People search Marketing Financial Recruitment | People search | People search | People search |
| Frequency of records monitored | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly | Daily | Quarterly |
| Frequency of progress reports | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly | Unavailable | Quarterly |
| Billing cycle | Monthly Yearly | Monthly Yearly | Monthly Yearly | Yearly | Yearly (1 or 2 years) |
| Money back guarantee | 30-day | 30-day | No | No | Until 1st privacy report is sent |
Take your data off PSS and hundreds* of other data brokers with Incogni
Your data is worth more than oil in the digital age and data brokers are making bank at your expense.
Subscribe to Incogni for just $6.49 per month and get:
- A fully automated data removal service
- Recurring removal from 170 data brokers
- Regular progress reports
Use REMOVE-YOUR-INFO-SEP at checkout to get an additional 10% discount.
* See the full list of data brokers Incogni covers here.
Incogni vs DeleteMe
Incogni is more affordable, at $6.49 per month compared to DeleteMe at $10.75. However, DeleteMe has plans for two users (at an extra cost). DeleteMe removes data from 46 people search sites, vs the 170 data brokers, including people search sites, covered by Incogni.
Incogni vs Onerep
Incogni is more affordable at $6.49 per month vs OneRep’s $8.33. Unlike Incogni, OneRep offers family and team plans at an additional cost. Incogni covers 170 data brokers across 4 categories (including people search sites) while OneRep covers only 193 people search sites.
Kanary vs DeleteMe
DeleteMe is more affordable, at $10.75 per month vs Kanary at $12. DeleteMe removes data from 46 people search sites, while Kanary covers 210 data brokers across four categories, including people search. Kanary also offers a family plan of up to 3 users, while DeleteMe offers a plan for up to 2.
Onerep vs DeleteMe
Both OneRep and DeleteMe opt you out from people search sites only. OneRep covers 193, while DeleteMe covers 46. Both offer multiple-user plans, DeleteMe with up to 2 users, OneRep with up to 6.
Removing your data doesn’t have to be complicated
It’s easy for data brokers to find and sell your most sensitive information. Taking your data off the market should be just as easy! For just $6.49 per month, Incogni sends out hundreds of recurring opt-out requests*.
Don’t waste any more time opting out one by one. Let us deal with data brokers, so you don’t have to!
Use REMOVE-YOUR-INFO-SEP at checkout to get an additional 10% discount.
* See the full list of data brokers Incogni covers here.
Questions to ask when choosing a data removal service provider
1) How many data broker sites does the company cover?
There are approximately hundreds of data brokers around the world. These companies are responsible for collecting and distributing your personal information far and wide on the internet, jeopardizing both your privacy and security.
Before you panic! Not all of these companies have your data. But for the average internet user, there will be dozens or hundreds that do.
If you want to remove your personal information from the internet, you’ll have to opt out from as many data brokers as possible.
2) What types of data brokers does the company cover?
Numbers alone aren’t everything, however. For one thing, many of these data brokers form networks. Removing your data from one may automatically remove your data from many others.
Equally important to the volume are the types of data broker sites the removal service covers. Most focus only on people search sites. While you definitely do want to remove your data from these brokers, they aren’t the worst out there.
Here are the 5 data broker types and how they can affect your life:
- People search sites provide access to private data like your phone numbers, home address, marital status, family members, and social media accounts to total strangers on the internet. This can lead to instances of discrimination, online harassment, and fraud.
- Marketing data brokers collect private information such as your email accounts, political affiliations, search history, websites you visit, past purchases, and online accounts and sell them to marketing companies and businesses. They are responsible for spam, robocalls, and all of the targeted ads you see online.
- Financial information brokers have some of the most sensitive personal data such as your Social Security number, assets, banks you use, and more. Having this type of personal information online puts you at high risk of fraud and identity theft.
- Recruitment data brokers compile personal profiles that include background information such as employment history, education history, and business contacts. Recruiters can use this information to process your applications.
- Risk mitigation brokers sell financial and health information to investors, financial institutions, and insurance companies. This data can affect your insurance rates and ability to get approved for credit cards and loans.
In the wrong hands, any of the personal information these data aggregators deal in can expose you to serious threats such as online phishing, scams, doxxing, identity fraud, and even bodily harm.
And while you may think this only happens as a result of data breaches (which are common), some data brokers have been known to intentionally sell your personal information to scammers.
3) What is the data removal service cost vs value?
At a glance, many of the companies offering to remove your personal information from the internet may appear to be reasonably priced. However, what might not be immediately clear is the value of their service.
An easy way to calculate this is to compare the monthly cost to the number of data broker websites the company deals with. Even at the same price point, a company dealing with 100 data brokers offers more value than one that deals with 30.
4) Does the company provide an automated data removal service?
All it takes is a single click for your personal information to end up on data broker databases. Yet removing that information takes a lot of time.
Researchers at Incogni have calculated that it can take up to 304 hours to send out data removal requests manually, just once.
The main point of a data removal service is to manage the entire data removal process on your behalf and save you time. This is why the best data removal services have a fully automated process. Ideally, you should be able to sit back and trust the company to remove your personal data with little to no involvement from your side.
5) What does the company do after sending out data removal requests?
The two biggest issues with data removal are that personal data is re-added to broker databases semi-regularly and many data brokers reject removal requests.
While some opt-out services just send out removal requests and call it a day, a good service will follow up. There should be a privacy expert behind you, fighting every removal request rejection on your behalf.
Similarly, the sites that had and deleted your personal information should be monitored regularly to ensure the records don’t respawn over time.
FAQ
Can you delete personal information from the internet yourself?
Yes. However, the average person generates 1.7 MB of data every second and even more, depending on how much time you spend on the internet. If you don’t want data broker websites to have access to your information, you can send individual opt-out requests to each one.
But it will take time.
You will also have to repeat the removal process regularly to keep your data off the market. Online privacy is an ongoing process that never really ends.
You can find our full guide on removing your personal information from the internet here.
You can also use our opt-out guides to help you remove your information from some of the biggest data brokers on the market.
Can you completely remove personal information from the internet?
No matter what you do, even if you never touch a device connected to the internet again, you won’t be able to keep all of your data offline. The best way to clean up your digital footprint, however, is to use a specialized service.
Is a data removal service worth it?
Automated data removal saves at least 300+ hours a year. That’s how long it takes to keep your data off the market. By doing so, it protects you from inconveniences like spam and serious threats such as identity fraud and stalking.
How should I choose a data removal service?
Before you sign up for the first data removal tool you see, you should consider the price, whether it offers a fully automated service, how many brokers it covers, and the types of data brokers it covers. The best service should have the biggest positive impact on your privacy.
What are data brokers?
Data brokers are companies that collect and sell, trade, or publish your personal information online. These sites are responsible for spreading your data far and wide on the internet, exposing you to phishing, scams, identity fraud, discrimination, online harassment, and stalking.
What companies can remove your information from the internet?
There are several companies offering personal information removal services. They differ in terms of how many and what kinds of data brokers they cover and the costs involved. Incogni covers 170 data brokers across 4 categories at a competitive price. Privacy Bee and DeleteMe are also options.
Can I hire someone to delete me from the internet?
Although there are specialist services that can help people “retouch” their online presence, they are often extremely expensive and overkill for most people. An automated personal information removal service like Incogni can remove your personal data from data brokers, and for most people, this is plenty.
Can I ask a company to delete all my data?
Yes, you can ask a company to delete all of your data. Whether it’s obliged to act on your request depends on what jurisdiction you live in and what data the company has. It’s worth submitting a data-removal request even if your state or country doesn’t have any data protection laws in place.
How much does DeleteMe cost?
A standard DeleteMe plan costs $129 per person per year. There’s also a plan for two people that costs $229 per year and a family plan for $329 per year. There are discounts available if you commit to a two-year plan from the outset. All plans are automatically renewed unless canceled.
Is OneRep better than DeleteMe?
Whether or not OneRep is better than DeleteMe depends on what’s important to you. OneRep claims to cover 193 data brokers, while DeleteMe only claims to cover 37. OneRep is also less expensive than DeleteMe, starting at $8.33 per month compared to $10.75 per month for DeleteMe.
How do I stop my name from appearing on a Google search?
The most effective ways to stop your name from appearing in a Google search are to delete your social media accounts and remove your profiles from any people search sites that have your data. If you’re not ready to delete your social media accounts, then at least set them to “private.”
What is the best way to remove address from Internet?
The best way to remove an address from the internet is to remove it from the most prominent websites that are sharing it. Typically, these will be data brokers, people search sites in particular. Follow their opt-out processes or get a service like Incogni to handle everything on your behalf.
How do I keep my address private?
You can keep your home address private by using a PO (post office) box or CMRA (commercial mail-receiving agency) to receive correspondence and packages. Getting your address off the public record is a much difficult task, though. Join Incogni to stop data brokers from sharing and selling your address.
How do I get data removed?
To get your data removed, contact the business, individual, or organization that has your data. Look for links and information concerning “data removal,” “opting out,” or “do not sell my info.” If you can’t find an opt-out form or procedure, email the site owner to request that they remove your data.
What websites have my information?
To figure out which websites have your information, type your full name into a web search engine. Open a new tab and search for your address. Go through both sets of results to see which websites have your information. Know that most data brokers that have your data won’t show up in these searches.
