5 best data removal tools to protect your privacy in 2026

Even if you’re working hard to keep your personal information to yourself and off the internet, it can still end up with data brokers. I’ve been there myself, wondering where exactly spam calls, phishing attempts, and targeted ads keep coming from.

If your name, address, phone number, employment history, marriage record, and other data gets leaked, you can get exposed to various threats, including doxxing, identity theft, and stalking. That’s why it’s important to monitor your online presence and remove any leaked data from data brokers’ records. While it may be a lengthy process, data removal tools will help you automate it – and even prevent your information from reappearing online.

Together with the Cybernews research team, I investigated the best data broker removal service tools in 2026 and compared them extensively. Below are detailed reviews covering their features, ease of use, and pricing.

The top 5 data removal services – shortlist

1. Incogni – overall best data removal service
2. DeleteMe – best for custom data removal
3. Norton – best for bundling data removal with antivirus and identity protection
4. Cloaked – best for identity masking and data removal
5. Onerep – best family data removal service

How we tested and ranked the best data removal services

To test the data removal services on this list, I created accounts with all 5 of them and initiated the data removal process.

This typically involved entering my personal data and authorizing the service to act as my proxy.

Afterward, I waited for up to a few weeks to see how much of my data the service could remove within a set time frame. While waiting, I explored each service’s features and settings, evaluating their ease of use and comparing pricing plans to see which one offered the best value for money.

I also analyzed user feedback on different review sites and forums to identify popular concerns about the services.

Here are the main factors I considered when ranking the best data removal services:

1. Features and effectiveness (35%). I looked at how well the service handled removing my data from the brokers. I also paid attention to how fast the process was.
2. Number of brokers covered (25%). I checked how many data brokers each service targeted and whether coverage included high-risk or lesser-known sites.
3. Security (15%). I reviewed data-handling policies, account protections, and transparency around how my personal information was stored and used.
4. Ease of use (10%). I paid attention to the ease of use and how intuitive the navigation was, from the signup process to data removal. Having a beginner-friendly interface was a huge plus.
5. Pricing (10%). I evaluated the pricing of each provider, including their plan range, availability of free trials and free plans, and how the cost compared to the competitors.
6. User reviews (5%). I considered verified user feedback to understand long-term reliability, support quality, and common frustrations.

Comparison of the best data removal services

Before taking a closer look at different data removal services, it’s important to understand how they compare. In the table below, I highlight their pricing, customer support, data broker coverage, and more.

Service Name	Starting price	Rating	Free trial	Money-back guarantee	Data broker opt-out	Number of data brokers covered	Automated data removal	Custom removal requests	Recurring data removals	Privacy reports	Customer support
Incogni	$7.19/month (with a code CNDEAL)	4.7	❌ No	30 days	✅ Yes	420+ (3,420 with custom removals)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes, on Unlimited and Family Unlimited plans	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	24/7 live chat
DeleteMe	$6.97/month	4.5	❌ No	❌ No, a full refund is available before first Privacy Report	✅ Yes	190+	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	Email, chat, phone, and ticket support
Norton	$10.42/month	4.4	❌ No	60 days, cancel anytime	✅ Yes	367+	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	24/7 live support
Cloaked	$9.99/month	4.5	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes	1,000+	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	24/7 live chat, email, help center
Onerep	$7.49/month	4.6	✅ Yes	30 days	✅ Yes	318 people-search sites and 559 non-public data brokers	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	24/7 email support, account manager for the business plan

The best data removal services – detailed review

I thoroughly tested several data removal services, assessing their pricing, effectiveness, user-friendliness, and general performance. Below are the 5 services that made my list.

1. Incogni: the best data removal service in 2026

Availability:	35+ countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and the EU
Data broker opt-out:	Yes
Number of data broker sites covered:	420+ (3,420 with custom removals)
Starting price:	$7.19/month (with a code CNDEAL)
Free trial:	No (offers a 30-day money-back guarantee)
Privacy reports:	Yes

Visit Incogni

Incogni is the overall best data removal service, lowering the risks of spam, scams, and identity theft. It’s well-equipped with all the essential features, and my tests showed it’s a reliable personal data removal tool. What’s even better is that it’s developed by the people behind Surfshark VPN and offers great value for your money. Its user-friendliness is just a big plus.

Some data-removal tools, like Onerep, focus more on US users. However, Incogni has a global reach that includes all 27 European countries, 50 states in America, as well as Canada, the UK and Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. This makes Incogni one of the most widely available data removal services worldwide.

It's also worth noting that Incogni is the first data removal service to be independently evaluated by Deloitte. This means that its privacy policies, security measures, and data management procedures have been reviewed and validated by a reputable third party.

Effectiveness

I was impressed that Incogni automates data removal from a large number of databases, currently settling at 420+ (3,420 with custom removals). It utilizes the GDPR, CCPA, and PIPEDA privacy laws to oblige data brokers, people search sites, and other personal data-gathering agencies to remove your information.

Incogni also targets a broader range of such services, going further than public data brokers. You can think of it as an iceberg, where public databases form only a fraction of your exposed data. Incogni also looks into private databases. These companies sell your data to third parties behind the curtain, so targeting them is paramount for protecting your online privacy.

During my tests, Incogni was able to get 40 data brokers to remove my data within four weeks of signing up. This was done virtually with no input from my end (aside from signing up for an account), proving that Incogni is a good pick if you want an effective solution and a stress-free experience.

User-friendliness

Setting up Incogni was quick and straightforward. All you need to do is choose a plan, sign up with your email address, provide your personal details, and fill out a form (authorizing Incogni to act on your behalf). Once you’re done, click Start Data Removal, and that’s it!

After signing up, you’ll be redirected to a dashboard that displays all the data requests Incogni has processed. My data removal requests were marked as Completed, In progress, Rejected, or Not started. I appreciate this level of transparency, as it is exactly what I expect from a data removal service. See my second week's Incogni testing results below.

I also appreciate the detail Incogni provides on its redesigned interface. The previous Detailed View has been replaced with two powerful new sections – Data brokers and Requests. I’d say now it gives me much greater clarity and transparency throughout the removal process. Instead of simply viewing data in a static format, I can now dive into the Data brokers section to learn more about each broker Incogni covers.

In the Requests section, each removal step is now visualized using timelines, making it easy to track and understand my entire data removal journey at a glance. I also have the flexibility to search by broker name, so I can clearly see all the requests associated with them, providing an unprecedented level of transparency about where my data’s been and what actions Incogni is taking.

One of the biggest headaches with manual data removal is that brokers often just re-add your information, forcing you to keep sending requests yourself. Incogni eliminates that hassle by constantly scanning people search sites and broker databases for your data, and automatically sending out removal requests when needed. Its suppression list also ensures selected sites can't reupload your data. During my four weeks of testing, I saw Incogni use this up to 18 times, making sure my personal information stays protected for good.

What really sets Incogni apart is the level of transparency it provides, and the service is now independently verified by Deloitte. According to Deloitte’s assurance report, Incogni provides removal coverage for over 420+ (3,420 with custom removals) data brokers, obtains confirmation from every single broker, sends recurring removal requests every 60-90 days, and has processed more than 245 million removal requests – all with zero affiliation with any data brokers. This independent verification by a top auditing firm sets a new standard of integrity and assurance for the entire data removal industry.

Pricing

The table below shows an overview of Incogni’s pricing:

Plan	Price of annual plan	Seats
Standard	$7.19/month (with a code CNDEAL)	1 person
Unlimited	$13.49/month	1 person
Family	$14.39/month	Up to 5 people
Family Unlimited	$20.69/month	Up to 5 people

Incogni offers 4 plans, which you can pay for on either a monthly or yearly basis. You can get a discount on your subscription if you opt for the annual plan instead of the monthly plan. To save money, you can partner with relatives or friends and get Incogni’s Family plan, which covers up to 5 people.

There are also 2 unlimited offers, both for individuals and families. They offer custom removal requests and complex removals, which are handled by privacy experts.

Incogni also offers free scans and opt-out guides to remove data yourself without spending a dime. Free Incogni scans reveal how severe your personal data exposure online is so that you can take quick action. Lastly, there's a 30-day money-back guarantee.

2. DeleteMe: one of the broadest custom data removal capabilities

Availability:	US plus 11 other countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, and Singapore
Data broker opt-out:	Yes
Number of data broker sites covered:	190+ (750+ with custom data removals)
Starting price:	$6.97/month
Free trial:	No
Privacy record:	Yes

Visit DeleteMe

DeleteMe is an impressive data removal service that covers 190+ data brokers and can remove various types of information, including your name, age, address, photos, relatives, marital status, and more. Like Onerep, DeleteMe offers a free scan to check how much of your personal data is available online.

Effectiveness

DeleteMe uses the data you provide to find related records and then processes data removal requests on your behalf. When I used the free scan, DeleteMe detected 30+ of my records on data broker sites.

The service checks broker sites every three months to ensure your information isn’t re-added to these databases. You also receive quarterly reports about your personal data, which is useful to stay on top of your online privacy.

Aside from data removal, DeleteMe's plans include email and phone masking, so you can keep your real contact details private when signing up for online services.

User-friendliness

Like other data removal services, signing up for DeleteMe is straightforward. After purchasing a subscription plan, you’ll need to provide some personal information that DeleteMe will use to find your records.

DeleteMe’s dashboard is intuitive to use. You can easily navigate between Reports, Privacy Tools, Account Management, and more. I also like that you can make Custom Removal Requests if you find your information on a broker site. You only need to log into your dashboard, click Make a request, and submit a custom removal request. Then, their privacy‑advisor team will investigate the listing, send a removal request as soon as possible, track its progress, and notify you when it’s removed.

I think the free scan is a great add-on and a nifty way to let users test DeleteMe’s scanning abilities before signing up for a subscription.

Pricing

DeleteMe offers plans for individuals and families. Here are the plans available from DeleteMe:

Plan	Price (Billed every two years)	Seats
1 Person	$6.97/month	1 person
2 People	$11.63/month	2 people
Family	$16.63/month	4 people

Keep in mind that its most affordable prices come with 2-year plans, while 1-year subscriptions cost slightly more. For example, you can get the individual plan for only $6.97/month instead of $8.71/month if you subscribe for two years.

All plans come with DeleteMe’s full list of features. I think DeleteMe is a great pick for the impressive number of data broker sites it covers, which allows for more comprehensive data removal. This is probably the best alternative to Incogni for individuals, as it’s only a few cents more expensive. However, compared to Incogni, DeleteMe does have fewer seats in its family plan.

3. Norton: best for bundling data removal with antivirus and identity protection

Availability:	US, Canada, and the UK (varies by plan)
Data broker opt-out:	Yes
Number of data broker sites covered:	367+
Starting price:	$10.42/month
Free trial:	No
Privacy reports:	Yes

Visit Norton

Norton is best known for antivirus, but its new plans include a dedicated data removal service that you can buy on its own or pair with Norton 360 and LifeLock plans. Instead of a fully automated pipeline, Norton's support agents submit opt-out requests to data brokers on your behalf. Its Privacy Monitor service covers more than 360 data broker sites and databases, and it comes from a brand many people already trust for device security.

Norton sells several related tiers, which can get confusing. Privacy Monitor comes with select Norton 360 and LifeLock plans. It scans data broker sites and shows you where your information appears, but you have to opt out yourself. Privacy Monitor Assistant is a paid service that submits opt-out requests for you.

Effectiveness

Once you sign up, Norton scans supported data broker and people-search sites for your details, and its agents send removal requests for the listings it finds. Norton rescans every 90 days and resubmits requests if your data reappears. Brokers typically take 2–4 weeks to process requests, and a few don't accept third-party opt-outs at all. In those cases, Norton gives you instructions to complete the opt-out yourself.

The trade-off is cadence. You can submit one batch of opt-out requests every 90 days, so it's less continuous than services that monitor and resubmit on a rolling basis. Some US brokers also require a copy of your driver's license before they will honor a removal request. Norton prompts you only when a broker requires it, and you can skip individual sites.

Beyond broker removal, Privacy Monitor Assistant includes Online Account Cleaner. It scans your inbox for old, dormant, and high-risk accounts tied to your email and lets you request deletion or unsubscribe from marketing emails, helping you shrink your digital footprint at the source.

User-friendliness

Setup happens in your Norton account (or the Norton 360 app on iOS and Android). You confirm your name, date of birth, addresses, phone numbers, and emails, then Norton runs a scan and lists the sites that are exposing your data. You'll find the Privacy Monitor tab alongside Norton's other products, so the dashboard can feel crowded if you're using several.

Norton's free scan is a handy way to check your exposure before paying. You enter your name, city, state, and email to see what it finds.

Pricing

Here's how Norton's plans play out for individual users:

Plan	Price from
Core	$10.42/month
Advanced	$16.67/month
Total	$29.17/month

Note that these plans are also available in 2-adult or 2-adult + kids tiers. Annual subscriptions come with a 60-day money-back guarantee, and monthly plans with a 14-day guarantee. Renewal prices may be higher than the introductory price, so check the renewal amount before you commit.

Norton is priced a little higher than dedicated services like Incogni, so it makes the most sense if you already use Norton 360 or LifeLock and want removal handled by the same provider.

4. Cloaked: best data removal service with identity masking

Availability:	The US and Canada
Data broker opt-out:	Yes
Number of data broker sites covered:	1,000+
Starting price:	$9.99/month
Free trial:	No
Privacy reports:	Yes

Visit Cloaked

Cloaked is one of the best data removal services if you want to do more than simply remove your personal information from the internet. In addition to automated data broker removals, it lets you create masked email addresses, phone numbers, and virtual payment cards, helping prevent companies from collecting your real information in the first place.

Effectiveness

After creating an account, Cloaked scans for your personal information across supported data broker websites and begins submitting opt-out requests on your behalf. You can monitor the progress of these requests directly from the dashboard, making it easy to keep track of your privacy status.

I also like that Cloaked takes a preventative approach. Instead of only removing your existing information, it also lets you generate unique email aliases, phone numbers, and virtual payment cards for every service you use. This helps stop companies from collecting and sharing your real personal details in the future.

User-friendliness

Cloaked offers a clean and modern dashboard. It's easy to navigate, and managing your privacy tools feels intuitive.

I especially like how simple it is to create new digital identities. Generating a masked email address or phone number only takes a few clicks, making it easy to protect your information whenever you sign up for a new website or app.

Pricing

Cloaked has plans for individuals, couples, and families. Here’s an overview of Cloaked’s pricing:

Plan	Price	Seats
Individual	$9.99/month	1
Couple	$14.49/month	2
Family	$24.99/month	4

While it's more expensive than services focused solely on data broker removals, the additional privacy tools can help justify the price. If you're only looking for affordable data removal, Incogni offers better value. However, if you want an all-in-one privacy platform that both removes existing data and limits future exposure, Cloaked is an excellent choice.

5. Onerep: the best data removal service for the whole family

Availability:	US only
Data broker opt-out:	Yes
Number of data broker sites covered:	318 people-search sites and 559 non-public data brokers
Starting price:	$7.49/month
Free trial:	Yes (5-day free trial)
Privacy record:	Yes

Visit Onerep

Onerep is one of the best tools for removing your personal information from the internet. With coverage of 310+ public data broker sites, a free scan, and Pro plans that extend that list with non-public brokers, you'll get peace of mind. You can choose from individual and family plans, each with a Pro upgrade, making Onerep an excellent tailored solution.

Effectiveness

To get your free scan, visit Onerep’s homepage, and enter your full name, location, and email address. Onerep will provide a detailed breakdown of which brokers have your data. Of course, until you sign up for an account, you won’t be able to ask Onerep to remove this data for you.

Onerep can remove your data from various sources, including data broker websites, data aggregators, people finder websites, social media sites, and more. It can even remove your data from Google. It does so by requesting that your information be removed, so you don’t have to contact these brokers individually.

Onerep re-scans and re-submits removals monthly and emails a monthly report on new records found and removed. The Pro tier adds over 500 non-public data brokers, unlimited custom removal requests, and a dedicated privacy expert for complex cases. Data breach monitoring is included on every plan.

User-friendliness

Onerep provides a quick and easy registration process. I especially like that it offers a free scan, as this demonstrates some of its features before you commit to a plan.

After opening an account, I had to provide additional information in my profile settings. I like that you can include “Aliases,” which can be your nickname or any alternate names you use. This expands Onerep’s search beyond just your birth name.

Pricing

Onerep has plans for individuals and families. Here’s an overview of Onerep’s pricing:

Plan	Price	Seats
Individual	$7.49/month	1 person
Individual Pro	$15.95/month	1 person
Family	$13.99/month	Up to 6 people
Family Pro	$29.95/month	Up to 6 people

Every plan includes a 5-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. While Onerep is overall moderately priced, it’s not as affordable compared to Incogni. I recommend Onerep if you need a family plan for its wider range of supported users, but Incogni is hard to beat for individual users. Don’t forget you can also get a custom plan for teams of 10+ members, making Onerep suitable even for business accounts.

What are data removal services and how do they work?

Data removal services track data brokers and people-finder sites that gather and store your information on online databases. They’re crucial for saving time and effort, as they remove your data automatically. You just need to provide your details.

Once you share your data, information removal services run scans, telling you where your information is available. Most of them check your information against hundreds of data broker and people-finder sites.

After they locate your data, they share a report with you that lets you know more about the platform where you’re data is found. Ultimately, they automate the data removal process.

In fact, these services remove information like name, address, phone number, and email that data brokers gather.

Why you might need a data removal service

No matter how hard you try to stay off the radar, it’s nearly impossible to remain out of data brokers’ reach. Your sensitive information, from name to phone or even address, can easily end up in open access – if it hasn’t already. And this, in turn, can expose you to plenty of threats.

Here are just some of the dangers you may face:

• Identity theft and fraud. The more of your personal data is online, the easier it is to impersonate you and access your financial information. With enough information on hand, frauds may be able to access your banking information, open fraudulent accounts, take loans and mortgages in your name, and more.
• Phishing and spam. Thanks to data brokers, your information often ends up in the hands of advertisers at best and scammers at worst. This ends up exposing you to phishing attempts, robocalls, and spam.
• Doxxing and harassment. With your sensitive information in open access, you face some real-life dangers, like doxxing, real-life stalking, or harassment. For people already going through traumatic situations like escaping an abusive environment, this may even be life-threatening.
• Reputational risks. Through data brokers, your potential employers or new acquaintances may get hold of outdated or incorrect information – or simply one you don’t want to share. This may affect your relationships, employment chances, and overall reputation.
• AI-generated content. AI tools and algorithms are often trained on real human data provided by brokers, but that’s only part of the problem. What’s more, your information, from name to photos, can be used for creating AI content. This includes ads, deepfakes, fake news articles, social media profiles, and even adult content.

That’s why data removal services can be a useful tool for protecting your privacy and safety. In addition to helping you find and remove your personal information from such platforms, they also keep watch in case your information re-emerges.

Key features to look for in data removal service

If you’re looking for a reliable data broker removal service, you need to consider a few key features. But don’t worry. I got your back. Let’s check out my full list of essential features:

• Coverage of major data broker sites. The first thing you should look into is whether your chosen data removal service covers the biggest data brokers. This is crucial so you can scrub all of your confidential information from the internet.
• Frequency of scans/removal. You don’t need a tool that performs one-time scans. That’s why it’s worth considering how often the data removal performs scans and actual cleanups. You need to ensure the tool continuously scans for new brokers and gets rid of your data at all times.
• Transparency reports. You should also find a service that discloses its operations, the volume of data removal requests, and how it responds to these data removals. This is crucial as many services lack transparency, leaving you unaware of whether your data is removed from online databases.
• Customer support. In case you run into an issue, you need to be able to contact customer support 24/7. Aside from this, data removal platforms should also offer assistance via multiple channels, such as live chat and email.
• Subscription cost/value. Last but not least, you need to consider the subscription cost of the data removal service. However, what’s more important to consider is its price-value ratio, as the cheapest tool isn’t always the worst, and vice versa.

What are data brokers and how do they get my information?

Data brokers are companies that collect and buy others’ personal data to sell it to other companies, often without the individuals’ knowledge and consent. This data may include your name, address, phone number, family status, health and employment history, criminal record, assets, and even more specific information like political views or hobbies.

There are many ways for data brokers to access this information. They can gather it from public sources, like court records, census data, or voter registration information, or purchase it from commercial sources, such as retailers you’ve previously shared your data with.

Brokers also track individuals’ internet and social media activity, gathering information from their online profiles, search history, and online platforms or apps that share data with third-party partners. All this information is later used to compile a user profile that can be shared with buyers.

The buyers can also vary. In some cases, your information will be used for marketing and advertising purposes, while sometimes it may end up in frauds’ hands.

Even if you protect yourself by keeping a low online profile, opting out of cookies, and minimizing personal information you provide to websites, that doesn’t guarantee that you will be able to stay out of data brokers’ reach.

Stay cautious about what you share, monitor data brokering platforms, and use data removal services to ensure your safety.

How to remove personal information from the internet

Removing your personal information from the internet can be a lengthy process, especially if you’re an active user with a big online presence. And while there’s no way to erase your digital footprint completely, you can always minimize it – as well as the possible risks.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind, from precautions to practical actions:

• Stay low on social media: Make sure data brokers can’t get much out of your socials by making your account private, minimizing personal information you share online, using encrypted emails during registration, and deleting unused profiles. Turning off personalized ads and opting out of data sharing policies where possible will also be helpful.
• Secure your accounts: Another good precaution is preventing unauthorized access to your accounts, whether it’s social media or retailer websites. Creating a strong password and activating 2FA authentication might be a good start.
• Change browser and website settings: Regularly clearing cache, browsing history, and cookies can help keep your personal information out of open access. Be sure to block third-party cookies in your browser and carefully check the websites you use, opting out of data sharing with their partners where possible.
• Remove your information from Google Search: You can take your personal information and photos down from Google by using its designated information removal tool. Just fill out several forms, answer the engine’s questions, and wait for it to process the request.
• Opt out of data brokers: Remove your personal information from data brokers either manually or using data removal tools like Incogni to automate the process. Keep in mind that your data may resurface on the data broker platforms over time, so you’ll have to check them consistently. Learn more about removing your information from data brokers in this detailed guide.
• Contact websites directly: In some cases, it’s better to reach out to the websites featuring your data directly and ask them to take down information, either through the Contact Us section or social media. Remember that in certain cases, you can even file a legal request.

For more detailed tips on protecting and removing your information from digital platforms and websites, check out this guide that goes through all data protection essentials.

Can you remove your personal data yourself for free?

You certainly can. However, it can be time-consuming and tedious. I researched this process to see if data removal services were worth paying for. My conclusion? Absolutely.

To perform data removal yourself, you’ll first need to identify all the data broker sites that have your information. For this, you can use tools like Incogni's free scans and follow its opt-out guides to walk you through the process. Afterward, you’ll need to manually request data removal from each one.

Usually, this involves sending an email. However, be prepared to send multiple follow-ups if the broker site ignores your initial request. You’ll also need to keep track of all your data removal requests to ensure that you’re making any progress.

Then, if the data broker site re-acquires your personal data after a certain number of months, be prepared to re-do this process. As I said, it’s tedious. That’s why privacy experts recommend using a data removal tool.

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Other privacy tools guides you might be interested in:

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Final verdict

My top data removal service is Incogni, a tool developed by Surfshark. During my 4 weeks of testing, Incogni removed my data from 40 sites and issued 18 suppression requests to prevent brokers from reuploading it.

Compared to other similar tools, it also covers the most data brokers, 420+ (3,420 with custom removals)+ sites, to be exact. Incogni’s Unlimited plans offer unlimited custom data requests and privacy expert assistance, which is highly valuable for more complex cases. It’s also affordable, starting at only $7.19/month (with a code CNDEAL) for the Standard individual plan.

DeleteMe offers broad coverage of 180+ data broker sites and a hands-off removal service. Cloaked stands out with its all-in-one privacy platform, combining data removal with identity protection and virtual identities. Norton is a convenient option if you already use Norton 360 or LifeLock and want agent-assisted removals from the same provider, while Onerep is an excellent choice for families or anyone who wants highly customizable data removal. Any of these services can help you take back control of your personal information and improve your online privacy.

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