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The 8 Best Data Removal Services (Rated and Reviewed)

By Gaetano DiNardi

Gaetano DiNardi

Contributing Cybersecurity Writer

Gaetano DiNardi is a growth advisor to software companies like Docebo, Cognism, and Workvivo. As the former head of organic growth at Aura, Gaetano helped launch the company's SEO program. He has also written for publications like HBR, Fast Company, and Nasdaq.

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Reviewed by Jory MacKay

Jory MacKay

Aura Cybersecurity Editor

Jory MacKay is a writer and award-winning editor with over a decade of experience for online and print publications. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Victoria and a passion for helping people identify and avoid fraud.

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May 5, 2025

Data broker removal services promise to clean up your digital profile and increase your online privacy — but not all of them deliver on that promise.

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Do Data Removal Services Really Work?

Not always. Many data removal services can help you remove personal info from people finder sites — but they aren’t always as effective as promised.

A 2024 Consumer Reports study found that major data removal services — including DeleteMe, Kanary, and Optery — were less effective at removing personal data from people search sites than when users do the work themselves by following a manual opt-out process.

In one example, DeleteMe was only able to remove 27% of profiles in a four-month time period, compared to 70% when requested manually.

It can be stressful to know that your personal details are readily available across data broker sites, people search sites, and other online sources. However, it may be a waste of your money (and time) to use the wrong data removal service.

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How To Choose the Best Data Removal Provider

The manual data removal process on sites like Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, and others can be time-consuming and frustrating. Data removal services scan data broker databases on your behalf and send automated takedown requests.

If you’ve ever done a Google search of your own name in the past few years, you’ll know why data removal services have become so important.

Along with your personal social media profiles, the first page of search results most likely includes detailed listings of your full name, home address, phone number, family members, job history, and more — all for free (or for a low fee).

With hundreds of data brokers and people search sites operating in the United States alone, data removal services play an important role in protecting your online privacy and reputation — but only if they actually do the job they promise to do.

Here’s the criteria we looked at when evaluating the best data removal services available right now:

  • Number of data broker sites scanned. In theory, the more places a data removal service scans for your personal information, the cleaner your online presence should become. However, as the Consumer Reports study showed, the effectiveness of a data removal service matters more than the number of data brokers it scans.
  • Frequently re-submits removal requests. Data brokers regularly re-add your data or create duplicate profiles under your name. We looked for services that re-scan databases on a regular basis to ensure that your information remains deleted.
  • Additional protection against identity thieves. Scammers can use your personal data (along with information leaked to the Dark Web in data breaches) to steal your identity. The most effective data removal services come bundled with identity theft protection, credit monitoring, and digital security tools — such as antivirus software and a virtual private network (VPN).
  • Safe data privacy policies in place. Some data removal services have deep ties with the sites from which they claim to clean profiles. In other cases, they may include privacy policies that put your data at risk, rather than protecting it.
  • Value for price. The cost of these services ranges wildly, from tens to thousands of dollars a year. Ultimately, we looked for data removal services that balanced features, effectiveness, and cost.

The bottom line: The more personal information that’s available about you online, the more at risk you are of scams, spam, and identity theft. While data removal services can help clean up your online footprint, they can’t promise to completely remove all of your data. Therefore, it pays to take steps to remove your personal information from the internet.

The 7 Best Data Broker Removal Services in 2025

  1. Aura — Best all-in-one data and online safety tool
  2. Optery — Large number of data broker sites scanned
  3. Incogni — Affordable plan options and fast scanning
  4. DeleteMe — Extensive scanning and personalized support
  5. IDX Privacy — Flexible plans with additional protection
  6. Kanary Copilot — Free privacy protection (with a little effort)
  7. Norton Privacy Monitor Assistant — Limited data broker opt-outs

The best data broker removal providers combine comprehensive data “clean up” services with protective features that prevent your personal data from being leaked in the future. 

Here are our top picks for the services worth paying for right now:

1. Aura

Paying for a service that only removes your data from data broker sites is like buying a new lock for your front door while leaving the back window wide open.

Aura does more than just remove your data — it offers all-in-one protection against identity theft, fraud, hacking, and online scams.

Aura’s budget-friendly Privacy Plan plan includes award-winning identity, online account, and Dark Web monitoring, a VPN and antivirus software for up to three devices, scam and phishing site protection, and 24/7 support — all for $19.99/year.

What you need to know about Aura’s Privacy Plans:

  • Scans and submits opt-out requests to over 90 data brokers
  • Re-scans data broker databases daily for your personal information
  • Includes advanced identity theft protection and digital security tools
  • Provides 24/7 U.S.-based customer support
  • Rated #1 online safety platform by Forbes, TechRadar, Money.com, and more
  • Aura does not sell customer data and is not affiliated with any data brokers
  • Includes a 60-day moneyback guarantee

Best plan and pricing: Aura Privacy Protection for $1.67/month ($19.99 billed annually)

Aura’s privacy-focused plan offers similar levels of data removal with more protection than most other data removal services. At $19.99/year, Aura is also one of the most affordable options and is backed by a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Who should choose Aura?

Aura is an excellent choice for people who are concerned about marketers, advertisers, and hackers gaining access to their data. It provides a complete solution for reducing robocalls, junk mail, and spam, while warning you when your personal information — including your Social Security number (SSN), credit card numbers, and more — appears in data breaches, public records databases, and other places that compromise your safety.

🏆 Try Aura’s award-winning identity and privacy protection risk-free. All Aura Privacy plans include a 60-day money-back guarantee, so you can see if it’s right for you. Try Aura risk-free today.

2. Optery

Optery is a stand-alone service that claims to help remove personal data from Google search results as well as up to 645+ data broker and people search sites — one of the highest removal numbers out of any service listed here.

Optery offers a free tier that provides a personalized privacy report and advice on how to manually remove your data. But you’ll need to upgrade to one of the paid plans to get automatic data broker opt-out requests and monthly scans.

What you need to know about Optery:

  • Free tier that provides personalized exposure report and basic opt-out instructions
  • Paid plans cover 110 – 645+ data broker and people search sites
  • Extended and Ultimate plans include “human + machine” approach to opt-outs with dedicated Privacy Agents for handling special circumstances
  • Paid plans range from $3.99 — $24.99/month
  • No additional identity or online safety protection tools
  • Email support only

Best plan and pricing: Optery Ultimate Plan for $24.99/month

While Optery’s Ultimate tier is one of the most expensive options, it includes some unique features — such as custom removal requests (for data brokers that aren’t already supported), priority email support, and outdated content removal from Google and Bing.

Who should choose Optery?

Optery stands out for the sheer number of data broker sites that it scans. However, its expensive monthly plans and lack of additional security features mean that it’s likely not enough to keep your online data and identity safe — especially when compared to more comprehensive options like Aura. 

💡 Related: How To Remove Your Information From Data Broker Sites

3. Incogni

Incogni is a data removal tool owned by VPN company Surfshark. It operates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe — taking advantage of different data protection laws to support its scanning and takedown requests. 

Incogni offers two tiers of plans — Standard and Unlimited — as well as Family plans for both (with protection for up to five family members). The main difference between the two plans is that the Unlimited plan includes custom removals along with privacy experts to help with more “complex removals.”

While Incogni scans a high number of data brokers for your personal information, its expensive plan options and lack of additional tools mean it might not be the best choice available.

What you need to know about Incogni:

  • Offers automated scans and removal requests from 250+ sites
  • Unlimited plan includes custom removals from across the web (Incogni will reach out to the site owners on your behalf to request that they remove your personal data)
  • Plans range from $8.29 — $29.99/month (when paid annually)
  • Takes advantage of data privacy compliance laws, such as GDPR, CCPA, and others
  • Does not sell your personal information to third parties

Best plan and pricing: Incogni Standard plan for $8.29/month ($99.48 billed annually)

Incogni’s Standard plan supplies the basic data removal requests that most people need at a price that’s more affordable than the Unlimited tier.

Who should choose Incogni?

Incogni’s compliance-oriented approach is good for residents of territories that have strong privacy laws in place, like Europe, Canada, or California. Not all U.S. states have similar laws in place, which means Incogni’s approach won’t always produce the best results.

4. DeleteMe

DeleteMe is one of the oldest services to focus exclusively on removing customer information from data broker websites and search engines. It has a straightforward approach compared to many of its competitors, with a tighter focus on an expanding number of data brokers — currently up to ~750 sites.

DeleteMe’s big standout feature is in how it processes your takedown requests. While most services take an automated approach, DeleteMe pairs this with real humans working to remove your data from sites.

However, while a human-driven approach might seem like it should make the service more effective, Consumer Reports found that DeleteMe only managed to remove 27% of profiles after four months.

What you need to know about DeleteMe:

  • Launched in 2011 — making it one of the first data removal services on the market
  • Removes data from 750+ data broker sites and aggregators
  • Uses “personal DeleteMe experts” to conduct many takedown requests
  • Base price of $129/year (or $209 for two years) for individuals
  • Provides quarterly updates on opt-out requests
  • Limited online protection tools (email and phone masking only)

Best plan and pricing: DeleteMe Individual two-year plan at $209

DeleteMe offers a multi-year discount that makes its high cost a little easier to manage. Plus, with its slower speed, and the ongoing risk of data brokers re-adding your personal information, a multi-year approach makes sense for many people.

Who should choose DeleteMe?

DeleteMe works with a huge number of sites, and offers custom removals and multi-year plans — but at a cost. It’s one of the most expensive services on this list and doesn’t include any additional security features.

💡 Related: How To Remove Your Personal Information From Radaris (Opt Out Guide)

5. IDX Privacy 

Unlike many of the specialist data removal companies listed here, IDX is an identity theft protection company that offers privacy protection plans with data broker removal (powered by ForgetMe), online protection, and more.

IDX offers a privacy-focused plan (IDX Privacy) with limited credit and identity monitoring. For full protection, you’ll need to opt for the more expensive IDX Complete plan.

One of the unique features included in the IDX Complete and Privacy plans is a “Privacy Score” that gives you a snapshot of your overall risk level based on the actions that you take. 

What you need to know about IDX:

  • Scans over 100 data broker websites for your personal information
  • Plan tiers offer different approaches to online safety — privacy, identity protection, or both
  • Includes digital security tools — such as a VPN, password manager, and Dark Web monitoring
  • Privacy-focused plans range from $11.66/month — $29.61/month (when billed annually)
  • All plans include up to $1 million in identity theft insurance

Best plan and pricing: IDX Privacy at $11.66/month (~$140/year when billed annually)

The IDX Privacy plan provides a decent level of privacy protection bundled with basic identity theft protection and insurance.

Who should choose IDX?

IDX is one of the few all-in-one options that provides opt-outs on 100+ data broker sites. However, its price point and limited identity theft protection features make it a hard sell — especially at nearly $140/year.

If you’re considering the more advanced all-in-one protection of IDX Complete, you’re definitely better off with Aura, which provides more protection at a lower price.

🔎 Pro tip: Check if your sensitive information is exposed online using Aura's free digital footprint checker.

6. Kanary Copilot

Kanary’s original data removal service was launched in 2020. With Copilot, the Kanary team has moved away from solely offering data broker removal and is now marketing its services toward preventing online threats such as doxxing and digital stalking.

These services — which are currently only available for iOS — provide scanning tools and automated actions to continually improve your online privacy.

While the basic tool is free, a premium version provides “deeper coverage of unlimited locations, names, accounts, emails, and phone numbers.”

What you need to know about Kanary Copilot:

  • Attempts to automatically remove personal data from data brokers and other websites
  • Offers a free plan supported by a premium version with “deeper coverage”
  • Strong privacy and security policies
  • Optional coverage for teams

Best plan and pricing: Kanary Copilot for free

Kanary is one of the few providers that offers an entirely free tier of protection.

Who should choose Kanary?

Kanary takes a different approach to online privacy — helping to protect you from the modern threats that come from having too much information online. Its free plan could be a great complement to any of the other services mentioned here.

7. Norton Privacy Monitor Assistant

Norton is a household name in cybersecurity and provides numerous tools to protect against malware, hacking, and even identity theft (through its LifeLock brand). With Privacy Monitor Assistant, Norton offers an automated removal service for just 19 data broker sites — including Spokeo, TruthFinder, and PeopleFinders.

What you need to know about Norton Privacy Monitor Assistant:

  • Only scans 19 data brokers
  • Re-scans for your data every three months
  • Stand-alone plan costs $109.99/year, or can be added to certain Norton and LifeLock plans

Best plan and pricing: Norton Privacy Monitor Assistant for $109.99/year

As a stand-alone data removal service, Norton only offers a single plan — but you can save around 25% by purchasing the annual plan (rather than pay monthly).

Who should choose Norton Privacy Monitor Assistant?

As far as data removal services go, Norton’s feature set is pretty limited. It scans just 19 data brokers for your private data versus the hundreds that other services monitor. As an add-on to other LifeLock with Norton 360 plans, Privacy Monitor Assistant could be a decent option — but it still falls far behind Aura and other alternatives.

💪 Don’t get stuck dealing with data privacy and fraud alone. Every Aura plan includes 24/7 access to a team of U.S.-based specialists who can answer questions and help you quickly deal with instances of fraud, scams, and even identity theft. Try Aura for yourself.

Can You Get All of Your Personal Information Off of the Internet?

If you’ve spent time online, it’s extremely unlikely that you’ll be able to completely wipe your digital identity. But while data removal services can help in the clean-up process, the best thing you can do moving forward is to limit the information about you that gets online in the first place.

Here are some tips to keep your data safe:

  • Use guest accounts and fake information. Sign up for online accounts by using fake information whenever possible. You should also check out of online stores by using the “guest” option to ensure that your credit card details aren’t being stored.
  • Use a temporary email address to register for new apps. You don’t have to use one email address for every account. Use a temporary email service when you sign up for a new account, or create a secondary email that automatically forwards messages to your main inbox.
  • Activate your browser’s anti-tracking tools. Modern web browsers come with some anti-tracking tools, but you can enhance your security even more by using a VPN. Don’t confuse your browser’s anti-tracking tools with incognito mode, though — this only protects your device from people who physically use it, like friends and family members.
  • Archive or delete old social media content. By default, most social media profiles reveal too much information about you. Review your privacy settings and take down content that advertisers and scammers could use against you.
  • Check to see if your email address or other data have been leaked. Use a free digital footprint checker to find out how much of your information is leaked online or for sale on secret Dark Web marketplaces.

If data brokers gain access to your information, you may find yourself targeted by ads, scams, and hacking attempts far more often than usual. But preventing your data from ending up in these databases is just one part of practicing effective cyber hygiene.

Aura provides you with robust online identity and privacy protection — combining data broker removal services with identity theft protection, 24/7 Dark Web monitoring, advanced digital security tools, round-the-clock U.S.-based support, and more.

Protect your privacy (and identity) with Aura — plans start at just over $1/month.

Try Aura’s online safety features risk-free. If you don’t feel safer after signing up for Aura, we offer a 60-day money-back guarantee on all annual plans — no questions asked. See pricing.

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Editorial note: Our articles provide educational information for you to increase awareness about digital safety. Aura’s services may not provide the exact features we write about, nor may cover or protect against every type of crime, fraud, or threat discussed in our articles. Please review our Terms during enrollment or setup for more information. Remember that no one can prevent all identity theft or cybercrime.