Surfshark
In an age where online security companies rarely interact with the people they protect, we decided to do something different. Through our user program, we reached out to three Surfshark users and invited them to our headquarters — not for a marketing event, but for a genuine conversation.
They met our C-suite leadership, participated in our company all-hands meeting, and shared their experiences: what drove them to look for protection and how they use Surfshark and Incogni in their daily lives.
Want to know what made them trust us? Keep reading.
Why we listen
“User experience is at the core of everything we build at Surfshark,” says Dovydas Godelis, Surfshark CEO. “I personally interview our users regularly to understand how we can make our product better. It’s easy to miss those details while building, but we can’t create the most beloved security products for everyone if we don’t talk to everyone.”
Why they needed Surfshark
Every user came to Surfshark at a moment when doing nothing was no longer an option.
1. Growing awareness of surveillance
The photographer had been following the news about Edward Snowden and the rise of tech giants wielding political influence. They found Surfshark through trusted YouTube channels doing well-researched work. The tipping point was simple: protecting both themselves and the people they work with required action, not just concern.
2. Being tracked across the internet
Another user discovered they were being followed online. Adverts were targeted at them using their name and date of birth. They searched for VPNs and found Surfshark to be the most accessible option. Within six months of using it, the tracking stopped.
3. Surviving fraud and rebuilding from scratch
The third user didn’t come looking for a VPN. They came looking for survival tools after a devastating attack.
“I was a victim of fraud. My phone got hacked, my privacy got stolen. I had to start my whole life again.”
They discovered Incogni through a YouTube channel called Scambaiter and purchased it immediately. “I never got another spam call or message again.”
What we talked about
During our conversations, we explored how our products fit into their daily routines. What emerged was a clear pattern: these aren’t tools they turn on occasionally — they’re infrastructure running constantly in the background.
VPN: Always on, protecting work and life
All three users keep the VPN running on all their devices from the moment they wake up. The photographer uses it on untrusted networks at airports, train stations, and hotels, and to protect client data transfers. “Particularly in the age of AI, I don’t transfer my images publicly if I can avoid it.” They also use Alternative ID regularly, though they’re still exploring the email function.
Incogni: From paralysis to freedom
For the fraud victim, Incogni was the key to getting their life back. After the attack, they were paralyzed — unable to visit the internet, convinced the hacker could be anyone. When police offered nothing but “Good luck with the investigation,” they signed up for Incogni.
“It gave me the freedom to be back in life again. After the scam, I would never purchase anything online. I was running to shops, asking friends to buy things for me. Now I’m back to normal life — 21st-century normal life.”
The psychological shift was immediate. Incogni became invisible infrastructure — forgotten until the monthly report arrives. One year and six months later, their data has been removed from roughly 150 servers.
What we learned
These weren’t focus group participants reading from a script. They were people who had been tracked, scammed, and violated — and who found products that gave them back control.
What stood out most was the relief. Relief at being able to shop online again. Relief at not having to check over their shoulder every time they opened their phone. Relief at knowing someone was actively scrubbing their data from hundreds of broker sites while they went about their lives.
The user who experienced fraud said it best: “Most of the time, I don’t even recognize that Incogni is behind me. Until I get the monthly report. And then I think, oh, I subscribed to that. It’s awesome.”
That’s the goal. Not to be the loudest voice in the room, but the quiet infrastructure that lets people live their lives without fear.
