Your personal information sits in hundreds of databases online. Data brokers collect your details from signups, purchases, and web activity, then sell detailed profiles to marketers, employers, and scammers.
This creates unwanted calls, spam emails, targeted ads, and identity theft risks.
Data removal services solve this by contacting databases directly to delete your information, monitoring broker sites, and removing new profiles as they appear.
What are data removal services, and how do they work?
Think of data removal services as professional cleaners for your online footprint. These services specialize in finding and removing your personal information from data broker databases across the internet.
Here’s how the process typically works:
- Information gathering: you provide the service with your basic details (name, address, phone number, email).
- Database scanning: the service searches hundreds of data broker sites to find your information.
- Removal requests: they submit formal opt-out requests to each broker on your behalf.
- Monitoring and maintenance: the best services continuously monitor broker sites and remove your information when it reappears.
What you get depends on the service you choose. The most comprehensive services handle everything automatically in the background — no manual searches or deciphering complex opt-out procedures on your part. However, some budget services only provide guidance on how to contact data brokers yourself, while others offer one-time removals without ongoing monitoring.
Types of data brokers
Data brokers fall into several categories, each collecting different types of personal information:
- People search sites: these create and host public profiles with your contact details and background information that anyone can find through search engines. Examples include WhitePages, Spokeo, and BeenVerified;
- Marketing data brokers: collect browsing habits and purchase data to sell targeted advertising profiles. They track your online behavior across multiple websites and apps;
- Risk mitigation brokers: these compile background data, including health information and court records, selling assessment reports to investment companies and employers;
- Recruitment data brokers: create background reports for HR departments and offer employee screening services;
- Financial information brokers: these collect financial and credit data and sell it to credit card companies, banks, and loan providers.
Most data removal services solely target people search sites, which constitute only 33% of all registered data brokers. The vast majority operate privately, selling your information to businesses without public-facing websites.
Effective data removal requires targeting both types. Services that cover private database brokers try to stop data sales at their source rather than addressing only visible leaks.
How to choose a data removal service
When comparing data removal services, consider these factors:
- Broker coverage: how many data brokers does the service cover with automated removals? Many services inflate numbers by including sites they’ve removed from once or counting manual ones that require human intervention. Choose services that clearly state their automated coverage and target high-impact brokers rather than padding numbers with irrelevant sites.
- Automation level: the best services handle everything automatically — finding your data, submitting removal requests, and monitoring for reappearances. Services requiring frequent manual input or offering limited automation waste your time when better options exist.
- Legal compliance: your service should operate within GDPR, CCPA, and FCRA frameworks. This ensures they can legally compel data brokers to remove information and handle your data responsibly during removal.
- Ease of use: look for intuitive dashboards, clear reporting, and responsive customer support. You shouldn’t need technical expertise to understand what’s happening with your data.
- Reporting and transparency: quality services provide detailed reports showing ongoing monitoring results, along with which brokers had your information and what exactly was removed.
- Price and subscription model: compare what you get at each price tier. Watch out for services that lock essential features behind expensive premium plans.
6 best data removal services: comparison
Note: Information and USD pricing current as of June 28, 2025, based on publicly available data from providers’ websites. Prices may change due to currency fluctuations or promotional offers.
Top data removal services include:
DeleteMe
- Trustpilot rating: 4.4/5 (174 reviews)
- Read our Incogni vs. DeleteMe comparison
Feature | Standard plan | Premium plan |
Pricing (annual, USD) | ~$129 | ~$180 |
Automated removals | Advertises 132 data brokers, removes from ~30–50 major ones | 100+ brokers |
Broker types covered | People search sites & marketing brokers only | People search sites & marketing brokers only |
Custom removals | 40 removals | 60 removals |
Family plan (annual, USD) | Covers 4 people at $329, with a shared dashboard and the same broker and custom removal benefits | Not available |
Geographic coverage | US, limited EU/UK, Canada | US, limited EU/UK, Canada |
Strengths: DeleteMe provides detailed exposure reports and offers quarterly reporting. They focus heavily on people search sites where your information is most visible to the general public.
Limitations: limited automated broker coverage compared to competitors, no coverage of private data brokers, and custom removals are capped at relatively low numbers.
Best for: users primarily concerned with visible people search sites and who want detailed quarterly reports.
Kanary (by Optery)
- Trustpilot rating: 4.5/5 (121 reviews)
Feature | Standard | Ultimate |
Pricing (annual, USD) | Free, as a 14-day trial with up to 3 removals | ~$179.88 |
Automated removals | People search sites only | 375+ brokers, unlimited removals, scans every 30 days, add unlimited names/locations |
Broker types covered | People search sites only | People search & marketing brokers |
Custom removals | Not included, DIY only | Human-assisted escalation, custom domains/emails, priority support, unlimited (30-day delay) |
Family plan (annual) | 30% discount per additional member | 30% discount per additional member |
Geographic coverage | US only | US only |
Strengths: provides before-and-after screenshots of removals and detailed exposure reports. Offers flexible billing options, including two-year plans.
Limitations: pay-for-privacy model limits removals on cheaper plans, no private database broker coverage, 30-day delay on custom removals.
Best for: users wanting visual confirmation of removals who don’t mind paying more for comprehensive coverage.
Optery
- Trustpilot rating: 4.5/5 (121 reviews)
- See our Incogni vs. Optery comparison
Feature | Core | Ultimate |
Pricing (annual, USD) | ~$107.52 | ~$355.32 |
Automated removals | Bots only; covers ~100+ people search sites and one name/location | 610+ brokers with Expanded Reach |
Broker types covered | People search sites only | People search & marketing brokers only |
Custom removals | Limited via support | Ultimate: unlimited custom removals, screenshots, priority support |
Family plan (annual) | 30% discount per additional member | 30% discount per additional member |
Geographic coverage | US only | US only |
Strengths: provides before-and-after screenshots, automates removals from top people search sites, and delivers detailed exposure reports. Interface and reporting differ slightly from Kanary.
Limitations: pay-for-privacy pricing model, focuses almost exclusively on people search sites while ignoring private-database data brokers, custom removals limited to select people search sites, optional OpenAI integration may share customer data with third parties.
Best for: users wanting an alternative to Kanary with similar functionality.
Privacy Bee
- Trustpilot rating: 3.4/5 (8 reviews)
Feature | Essentials | Signature |
Pricing (annual, USD) | ~$96 | ~$804 |
Automated removals | Covers data brokers and people search (~885+) with scheduled monitoring | Same extensive broker coverage, prioritized removal requests |
Custom removals | Unlimited custom and broker-specific removals | Signature adds faster takedowns, analyst assistance, legal escalation |
Family plan | Couples/family add-ons available | Same family support, applies higher-tier features per user |
Geographic coverage | US only | US only |
Strengths: offers risk assessment features for free and handles some industry opt-outs, such as junk mail.
Limitations: most expensive service, requires substantial hands-on work and constant monitoring, inflates data broker coverage numbers.
Best for: users who need the specialized risk assessment features and are comfortable with higher costs and more manual involvement.
Incogni
- Trustpilot rating: 4.4/5 (1,799 reviews)
- See our dedicated Incogni review
Feature | Standard plan | Unlimited plan |
Pricing (annual, USD) | ~$99.48 | ~$179.88 |
Automated removals | 270+ data brokers and people-search sites, with continuous rescans | Same as standard |
Broker types covered | All 5 types, including private-database brokers | All 5 types, including private-database brokers |
Custom removals | Not included | Unlimited (starts immediately), including custom removals and complex broker requests |
Family plan (USD) | Everything in Standard, plus up to 5 extra members and Family account management, costs $16.49/month | Everything in Family Standard, plus unlimited custom removal requests for any people search site or another website that exposes data, priced at $29.99/month |
Geographic coverage | US, EU, UK, Canada & 6 more regions | US, EU, UK, Canada & 6 more regions |
Strengths: Incogni covers the broadest range of data broker types, including private ones that some competitors ignore. Their Unlimited plan includes unlimited custom removals from nearly any website beyond just data brokers. Custom removals start immediately, all broker coverage comes at every pricing tier, and they count brokers transparently while targeting high-impact removals.
Limitations: limited data points during onboarding (names, emails, and phone numbers only), basic monthly reports, custom removals require manual link submission, no mobile app.
Best for: users wanting comprehensive coverage of private-database brokers, transparent pricing, and immediate custom removal access.
Aura
- Trustpilot rating: 4.3/5 (794 reviews)
- See our Incogni vs. Aura comparison
Feature | Individual | Premium |
Pricing (annual, USD) | ~$139.92 | ~$264, bundled with other products |
Automated removals | Included with identity/security tools (data removal from brokers) | Same across plans; bundled in broader identity/antivirus/VPN coverage |
Custom removals | Manual approval/request needed — not fully hands-off | Same requirement across tiers |
Family plan | N/A | Cover 2 adults or 5 adults & unlimited kid accounts with insurance up to $5M |
Geographic coverage | US-focused | US-focused |
Strengths: comprehensive identity protection suite, including data removal, credit monitoring, identity theft protection, and privacy tools.
Limitations: limited transparency regarding data removal capabilities, pricing varies by bundle, not specialized for data broker removal.
Best for: users wanting data removal as part of broader identity protection rather than standalone data broker removal.
What makes Incogni stand out
Incogni excels in several areas that matter most for effective data removal:
- Comprehensive broker coverage: covers all five types of data brokers, including private ones that represent 66% of the ecosystem. Competitors focus mainly on visible people search sites;
- Transparent approach: the 270+ broker count represents actual automated removals, not inflated statistics from one-time removals or theoretical possibilities;
- Holistic data removal: beyond the automated ones, Incogni offers unlimited custom removals from nearly any website — including blogs, forums, business directories, and even e-commerce platforms. This makes it a remove your data from the internet solution, rather than just another data broker service. With Ultimate plans, custom removals start immediately;
- Strong automation: handles discovery, removal, and ongoing monitoring automatically. No manual requests or constant oversight is required;
- Privacy bundle value: combined with Surfshark VPN (Virtual Private Network), Incogni provides comprehensive online privacy protection at a competitive price;
- Legal compliance: operates under GDPR and CCPA compliance, ensuring proper data handling and legally backed removal requests.
Google Trends shows Incogni as the most popular data removal service in the US. With nearly 1,800 Trustpilot reviews, it’s also the most-reviewed service in the market.
Protecting your privacy goes beyond data removal
Your personal information has value — that’s why data brokers want to get it and sell it.
Comprehensive data removal helps you regain control of your online privacy and reduces exposure to spam, scams, and identity theft.
Choose a service with comprehensive coverage, transparent practices, and strong automation. Services that only target visible people search sites leave two-thirds of the data broker ecosystem untouched.
For complete privacy protection, combine data removal with a VPN to encrypt your internet connection and prevent future data collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do data removal services really work?
Yes, legitimate services can remove your data from many brokers. Success depends on coverage — comprehensive services protect better than those targeting only people search sites.
Are data removal services safe?
Reputable services operating under GDPR and CCPA are generally safe. Choose providers that clearly explain how they handle your data during removal.
How long does it take for data removal services to work?
Most services begin removals within 24-48 hours, with visible results in 2-4 weeks. Complete removal can take months and requires ongoing monitoring since data reappears.
Is there a free data removal service?
Some offer free scans, but complete removal usually requires payment due to the manual effort required. You can do it yourself, but it’s time-consuming and complex.
How much do data removal services cost?
Prices range between $8 and $25 per month, depending on coverage and features. Premium plans cost more but save hours of manual work.
Can I remove my information from data brokers myself?
Yes, but it requires contacting each broker individually. Most people prefer paid services for efficiency and broader coverage.
What types of information do data removal services protect?
They typically remove names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, family details, and sometimes property or employment data. Coverage depends on each broker’s data and the service’s capabilities.
Do data removal services work internationally?
Some services offer international coverage, especially in regions with strong privacy laws like the EU. Check that your service covers all relevant countries.