Would it be easier to protect your privacy if you could revisit the internet’s early years? Many would say yes, as they'd likely choose services more carefully and share less of their personal information. Since we can't travel through time, however, we have to live with the current reality: your personal data is being sold right now, without your knowledge or consent.
Personal details, such as your phone number, email address, home address, and even your family ties, are being collected, packaged, and sold to marketers, insurers, and malicious hackers. While Apple provides some defense through tools like Safari and Mail, these can't fix the damage already done, as your data is already scattered across many online broker systems.
The hidden dangers of data brokers
The problem goes beyond simple spam and annoying sales calls. When your private information is freely accessible, it makes you an easy target for serious cyber threats. Hackers use data from brokers to create convincing phishing attacks, especially if they know where you've worked or lived, your job title, or the names of people in your circle.
For people who worry about personal safety, these databases can be dangerous. By mapping links between your family and neighbors, data brokers can unintentionally reveal the location of people who want to stay out of the public eye. This can pose a risk for victims of stalking or harassment.
Automated privacy: How one service is helping people take control
Trying to manually remove your data from hundreds of these broker sites is exhausting and rarely effective. That’s where a service like Incogni can make a difference. It streamlines the tedious process of opt-out requests, managing the often complex and repetitive communication with data brokers on your behalf.
Users benefit from a real-time dashboard that lets them see how many databases may hold their data, track active removal requests, and monitor which ones have already been completed. Importantly, Incogni also monitors for new data scrapes and ensures it doesn't get readded, preventing the problem from resurfacing.
Why removing data matters for real people
Removing your data from these broker sites has clear, measurable benefits. Scammers will have fewer opportunities to target you, your phone won't be flooded with spam calls, and your address remains off the radar of those who might misuse it. This reduces the risk of identity theft and helps protect your financial well-being.
For people who take privacy seriously, these results aren’t hypothetical. They’re real, immediate, and begin the moment your information is taken off the market. When your data is no longer publicly available, you become a far less attractive target to fraudsters.
Criminals tend to focus on the easiest targets, and those are often the people with the most exposed information. By removing your data, you make yourself a more difficult and less profitable target for cybercriminals.
Special pricing for 9to5Mac readers
9to5Mac readers can now take advantage of exclusive pricing on Incogni subscriptions. These plans are designed for individuals or families and offer standard or unlimited data removal coverage, with options for both monthly and annual subscriptions.
Pricing includes a monthly Standard plan at $16.58 and an Annual Family plan at $197.88. Readers who use the discount code 9TO5MAC at checkout can access these special rates. More details and the link are available on Incogni’s website.