I found the easiest way to delete myself from the internet - and it's fast

How does Incogni work?

Incogni is an excellent data removal service and one that I have tried myself and can recommend without reservation. It aims to tackle data removal requests at scale with the help of automation, backed by human, in-house staff specializing in data removal and privacy.

The data removal service focuses on disrupting the flow of consumer data -- including PII -- that ends up in the hands of data brokers, often without the consent of subjects. This information is then either exposed online for the world to see or sold to other organizations.

Also: 9 ways to delete yourself from the internet (and hide your identity online)

By combining automation and human oversight, Incogni targets both public and private data brokers, providing comprehensive coverage that includes over 420 public and private brokers, and more than 1,000 unique domains registered in response to custom data removal requests made by customers.

Incogni told ZDNET that it completed over 90 million data removal requests last year and that the company's growth trajectory is likely to continue, with over 245 million data removal requests having been processed -- a figure confirmed by a recent Deloitte audit. Many new US customers have joined due to concerns surrounding a lack of adequate data privacy laws and current political tensions.

Data removal requests are automatically sent to data brokers once you have signed up for the service. You are given access to a dashboard that shows how many data brokers have been contacted, how many requests have been processed, and how many have been completed. Requests are automatically resent every 60 to 90 days.

"Automation allows us to have streamlined processes in place to not only submit data removal requests but also to process the received confirmations/responses of data brokers and make sure that our users are updated with the outcomes immediately," Incogni told ZDNET. "The human oversight with our core functionality is focused on maintaining these systems and running double-checks on a daily basis to make sure that we're consistently getting our data removal requests processed by data brokers and have all the necessary confirmations."

Also: How to remove your personal info from Google Search - it's quick and easy

Geographically, Incogni covers all 50 US states and can also tackle data removal requests in the EU, UK, Northern Ireland, Canada, the Isle of Man, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.

Outside of reducing your PII exposure and digital footprint, the service also aims to help reduce your spam and robocalls. Cold-calling marketers, scammers, and robocalls can be infuriating as they take up your time, line, and attention, and many customers have reported fewer incidents since signing up, according to Incogni.

How much does Incogni cost?

So, let's talk about price. Surfshark's Incogni is one of the cheapest options available (although, admittedly, not by a huge margin), with one-year plans starting at $7.19 per month. The company is currently offering a 55% off deal on annual plans for ZDNET readers, with the code ZDNET.

One thing to note, however, is that if you want to use the service for custom data removal requests, you will need to sign up for the Unlimited plan, which costs $13.49 per month -- and there are cheaper solutions out there for custom requests, such as those provided by DeleteMe.