The best data removal services in 2025: Delete yourself from the internet

You can’t often control the flow of digital information, which can lead to your data being exposed online. Although you can and should lock down your individual accounts, sometimes you may feel compelled to take an extra step to improve your online security and privacy.

By overhauling the online services you use and deleting anything you no longer want, you can take the first step in reducing your digital footprint.

Also: How to delete yourself from internet search results and hide your identity online

Old shopping accounts and social media profiles, mailing list subscriptions, and legacy online service accounts can clutter your email inboxes and, over time, become annoying or embarrassing. Those with ill intentions may link them together, increasing your risk of identity theft. Furthermore, they may try infiltrating one of these old accounts to impersonate you.

However, overhauls can only go so far. Organizations that hold on to your data without cause may also need to be compelled to delete it. Rather than trying to track the details of each service online that holds onto your data, dedicated services shoulder this task for you.

What’s the best service for deleting yourself from the internet right now?

Based on our extensive research, ZDNET’s top pick for a service for deleting yourself from the internet is Incogni. Amassing many positive customer reviews, Surfshark’s Incogni tackles data removal and data brokers on your behalf and will enforce these requests using applicable data protection laws. You pay the equivalent of $7.49/month if you sign up for an annual plan.

Also: Best VPN services: Expert Tested

Below, you will find our top recommendations for the best data removal services in 2025.

The best services for deleting yourself from the internet in 2025

Surfshark’s Incogni is a great service for removing yourself from the internet and negotiating with data brokers, securing its position as our top pick.

Once you’ve signed up, Incogni will send removal requests to a wide array of data brokers and enforce these requests using applicable privacy laws, including GDPR and the CCPA.

The company says that most requests are handled within eight weeks, although some may require action from you. Incogni will also tackle shadow profiles on your behalf.

Regarding pricing, Incogni offers monthly or annual plans. If you opt for an individual monthly plan, you will pay $14.98/month. If you want to pay once a year, Incogni’s services will cost you $77.78 or $7.49/month. Family plans start at $16.49/month.

If you’re unsure how much information you need to be removed from the internet, you could opt for the monthly plan and consider a clean-up once or twice a year. There is also a 30-day money-back guarantee, so this service is an excellent try-before-you-buy option.

Incogni, which claims that over 30 million data removals to date have been completed, has some of the best customer feedback of all our recommendations. Customers say they feel the benefit of reduced spam calls and emails and that data is removed quickly. That said, some reports may not provide as much in-depth information as some customers want.

Incogni also provides DIY guides if you’d prefer to tackle the task yourself.

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DeleteMe has earned many positive customer reviews, and it’s easy to see why. This user-friendly option will help you remove sensitive and personal information from online sources and data brokers while saving you time and effort.

Once you’ve submitted your information, the organization will search for it online and send removal requests to third parties holding your data, including 750 data brokers.

Within seven days, you will receive a report outlining DeleteMe’s progress. The company says that, on average, 15 listings of public data belonging to a searchable subject via Google are removed within “days.”

You can also use other features, including email and phone masking. This service has recently expanded beyond the US, Europe, and Canada, and in recent news, is utilizing AI to tackle dark web and data broker data pools.

DeleteMe offers a range of plans. These include a subscription for one person, for one year at $10.75/month, or for two years at $8.71/month. Other subscriptions include a two-person plan for two years, priced at $14.54/month. Family plans begin at $20.79/month on a two-year contract.

You can also use DeleteMe’s guides if you want to take on the job yourself. Many customers say the service exceeds expectations, but the upfront cost can be daunting.

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Kanary’s old setup was a proven service for cleaning up your online information. A company that appears to be now geared towards the tech-savvy generation, Kanary has recently shifted from broad family plans and data removal offerings to a mobile-first solution focused on automation called Kanary Copilot.

The company has pivoted to offering a free service to combat online stalking and doxxing. With the press of a button, this automated app will attempt to tackle data leaks, conduct removal requests, and fix security issues on your behalf.

So, why is it free? The company says: “We don’t want cost to be a barrier, especially for younger people just establishing their online footprint. We believe online safety should not be limited to executives or celebrities.”

The service is new but more integrations are being added as the app is built out. Premium plans ($9.99/month) are funding the free offering, and enterprise plans are also available to limit exposures. However, Copilot is only available on iOS for now.

Existing users will be able to transition from their old accounts this year. Customer feedback indicates that Kanary’s service is reliable, reports are clear and concise, and the service is valuable for the money. Let’s hope the same can be said for the new venture as it grows.

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Privacy Bee is another service that can track where your information is and act on your behalf to remove it from companies you don’t trust, plus data brokers.

The service also checks and monitors search results to remove sensitive information. Furthermore, you can download a browser extension that displays your data relationship with the sites you visit.

The company can also remove you from marketing databases to reduce the volume of spam and mass emails you receive and takes a proactive approach to handling your information. Privacy Bee will leverage applicable laws, including CCPA and GDPR, to enforce removal requests.

Pricing begins at $197 per year, which is an expensive up-front cost that may deter some customers. Family and business plans are also available. Still, reviews suggest that the service is secure and thorough.

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DuckDuckGo Privacy Pro is worth considering if you want an all-in-one option that combines a Virtual Private Network (VPN), data removal service, and identity theft protection.

DuckDuckGo has a longstanding and respected attitude to consumer privacy. It began as a search engine and later extended to a dedicated browser. Now, the company has released a VPN and additional privacy-related services, including a personal data removal service.

That said, while I have been a fan of DuckDuckGo for many years, this recommendation does come with a few caveats: Trustpilot ratings are low and some users have complained about the VPN’s server selection and a lack of advanced features. There appear to be issues that need ironing out, but if your focus is on choosing a company with a pedigree in user privacy with data removal services as a bonus, check it out. The combined service costs $9.99/month.

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Reputation Defender by Norton is a tailored service offered to individuals, professionals, executives, and businesses.

This service differs from our other recommendations: it’s a personal offering that focuses on managing and cleaning up reputations, which could include online data removal and deletion of information held by data brokers and people-search websites.

Norton’s offering includes data management, reputation management, personal branding assistance, privacy alerts, regular scanning, and search result management.

Prices for Reputation Defender by Norton are available upon request, as the work is personalized to your circumstances. The company offers a free consultation, and customers say the support team handles sensitive situations well.

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Below, you will find some of the main features of each of our recommendations.

Best data removal service	Price	Conducts data removal/opt-out requests?	Free trial?	Personalized solutions?
Incogni	$7.49+/month	✓	X	x
DeleteMe	$8.71+/month	✓	X (scan only)	x
Kanary Copilot	Free or $9.99+/month	✓	Free plan	x
Privacy Bee	$197/year	✓	X (scan only)	x
DuckDuckGo Privacy Pro	$9.99/month	✓	✓	x
Reputation Defender by Norton	On request	✓	X	✓

Choose this top data removal service…	If you want…
Incogni	Our top pick for an affordable solution to protect yourself and your data. Incogni provides a one-stop-shop solution for data protection and managing data brokers.
DeleteMe	To have information removed from search engines. You submit the information you want removed, and DeleteMe will do the rest. DeleteMe is a great choice for in-depth data removal.
Kanary Copilot	A free data removal service. While only available on iOS at the moment, you can take advantage of Kanary’s new, free app to tackle data leaks and automate data removal requests.
Privacy Bee	To choose what companies you trust. PrivacyBee allows you to select companies you are comfortable holding your data, as well as select organizations that you want to delete your information from their records.
DuckDuckGo Privacy Pro	A combined service including a VPN, data removal, and identity theft restoration. It’s offered by a trustworthy company with a long history of protecting user privacy, although some issues still need to be ironed out.
Reputation Defender by Norton	A reputation manager. Reputation Defender is best suited to high-profile individuals and businesses that need constant data leak monitoring and reputation protection.

When choosing the best services for deleting yourself from the internet, we considered several factors, including:

Price: While selecting the best services, we wanted to provide various options, including affordable subscriptions and plans. Depending on your needs, signing up can be a long-term investment, so we have included a variety of data removal solutions with different price points and contract periods.

Removal: We focused on services that can scan, monitor, and check online databases and data broker repositories for your personal information and then work on your behalf to have it removed. After all, if you’re paying for a service, you should be able to expect the challenging parts of the process to be handled for you.

Protection: The services listed above also include protective features that may reduce the likelihood of personalized spam calls and phishing emails, as well as trolling, stalking, or identity theft. You may also want, for example, to combine automatic data removal with data breach alerts and antivirus software.

Frequency: We also ensure that our recommended services can conduct frequent scans on your behalf. While you may want one check and deletion session, our information is constantly changing hands, which means that your data could reappear online eventually.

Reports: The services we recommend will often provide reports with each scan to keep you updated on where your data was found, what has been deleted, and potentially what your next steps should be.

Free trials and features: We have included data removal solutions that offer free reports and snapshots of your data exposure, allowing you to make the right choice before signing up for a plan. While free trials are uncommon, some of our recommendations offer free, limited plans or trial periods.

You can take numerous steps to stop your name from appearing in internet search results and through engines, including Google and Bing, but it can be a complicated and time-consuming process. Below are some steps to help you get started.

Use a search engine: Your first action should be to type in your name, nicknames, and online handles into search engines. This step will reveal the information that anyone can easily find on you and can help you plan your next steps, including which companies you may need to contact to have data removed or what accounts to delete.

Lock down or delete social media accounts: Deletion is the nuclear option, but most social media platforms will have the option to stop your profile from appearing in search engine results. As our profiles — even if they are publicly limited — can contain our photos, full name, and more, removing them from search engine queries can help reduce our online footprint. For step-by-step guides, visit Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Delete old, unused accounts: Whether it’s shopping sites, social media networks, or forums, each service you use — or have used — may tie your online identity to your name, nicknames, or PII, all of which could be at risk if a data breach occurs. If you do not want to use a dedicated service, consider going through your email and password managers to find active accounts. You will need to access them and request removal manually.

Clean up forum posts: Forums can often be overlooked, but if someone finds out the handles you commonly use, they may be able to find content connected to you — which could now be utterly irrelevant to the person you are today or embarrassing if exposed. Delete old forum posts and preferably remove your accounts entirely.

Contact webmasters: If you have old accounts that do not have auto-delete features, contact webmasters directly to have your profiles and data deleted. This process will likely be more straightforward if you are in an area covered by regulations such as the EU’s GDPR.

Request that people finder websites delete your information: People finder websites can be used as “search engines” to look up someone based on their name, phone number, and other personal information, which can be a privacy nightmare. Opting out and forcing the removal of your information from these organizations, which may buy it from data brokers, can be a challenging process to perform manually as it may require contacting each service individually to negotiate. If these organizations prove difficult, deletion could also require understanding applicable privacy and data protection laws to enforce your requests. Consider using a service such as Incogni or DeleteMe to do the legwork for you.

Deactivate email accounts: Our email accounts tend to be the core platform that ties your digital profile together, but once they’re gone, they’re gone. When you are ready, delete your email accounts, which will break the common threads between your online services. Only take this step if you are sure.

You can, although the process is limited and your request may be rejected if the company doesn’t believe there are grounds for removal.

You will need to contact Google using this form, requesting to remove information you see or asking to prevent information from appearing in Google search results. Removal requests can also be made for:

Exposed personal identifiable information (PII)

Explicit images, including adult content

Involuntary, fake pornography

Images of minors

Information from websites with “exploitive” removal practices, such as those that demand payment

In some cases — for example, a request to remove links to law enforcement statements or media articles concerning an individual and a prosecution — Google may refuse, as such information could be in the public interest. If Google refuses, it will provide a reason for its decision.

There are numerous ways you can protect your identity online. Experts recommend securing personal information, locking down your social media accounts to friends and connections only, using antivirus software, regularly updating programs and software, and changing your passwords regularly.

Furthermore, if you find “clones” of your identity — such as a fake Facebook or dating app profile — ensure you report the fake account to associated online services.

If you suspect your data has been leaked online, use the Have I Been Pwned service to see if you have been involved in any data breaches.

You’ll have to follow some basic steps to remove your name from social media. First, change your name to a nickname or surname that isn’t linked to your true name. This should ensure that photos or linked content will also change.

Next, switching all of your content to private can keep it away from search engines and individual search queries. You can also delete all of your accounts and potentially file a Google request to remove content connected to you (although this will not always be accepted, especially if such information is considered in the public interest or a deletion request is believed to be without true cause.)

The majority of search engines will log your search queries, and some will use this information to tailor ads and recommendations. If you want to keep your search queries hidden, we recommend using DuckDuckGo, which offers a free search engine that does not log your activities — or, for extra privacy, use its browser.

DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused company that does not store your information and also allows you to anonymously use modern online tools including AI chatbots.

The easiest way is to visit Troy Hunt’s HaveIBeenPwned to see the vast troves of data posted online due to company data breaches. Once you have entered your email address, the search engine will reveal if you have been involved in any third-party information leaks. You should consider checking every so often to ensure you are aware of any new data breaches.

There’s no easy way, and unfortunately, it is often outside our control.

Instead of chasing removal, the best thing you can do is to see what information has been leaked and make it redundant. For example, if an email and password combination for an online service has been exposed, change it immediately for that service — as well as any other platforms using the same set — and never use that combination again. Using multi-factor authentication can also prevent your online accounts from being compromised.

It is worth it as online threats, phishing, and impersonation are now fixed and permanent problems in our lives. This may be especially true for anyone who grew up oversharing and before we understood that once something is online, it is usually there forever. If you want to mask problematic information and cut the links that connect you between different online services, investing in a personal data removal service — at least, for a while — is worth the cost.