Your data removal service shouldn't expose you to the very surveillance it claims to protect you from. Here's why Incogni's US data processing is a critical privacy flaw and what meetergo's team discovered while building CrabClear.
After five years building GDPR-compliant scheduling systems for over 26,000 businesses at meetergo, we've learned that where your data is processed matters more than any privacy policy. This led us to create CrabClear, a truly EU-based alternative to Incogni.
The Critical Comparison: Incogni vs EU-Based meetergo Alternative
When evaluating data removal services, the fundamental differences become clear:
| Feature | Incogni | CrabClear (by meetergo team) |
|---|---|---|
Data Brokers Covered | ~420 | 1,500+ |
FeatureData Brokers Covered Incogni~420 CrabClear (by meetergo team)1,500+ | ||
Processing Location | US Servers | EU-Only (Germany) |
FeatureProcessing Location IncogniUS Servers CrabClear (by meetergo team)EU-Only (Germany) | ||
CLOUD Act Vulnerable | Yes | No |
FeatureCLOUD Act Vulnerable IncogniYes CrabClear (by meetergo team)No | ||
True GDPR Protection | No (US processing) | Yes (Native EU) |
FeatureTrue GDPR Protection IncogniNo (US processing) CrabClear (by meetergo team)Yes (Native EU) | ||
Pricing | €71.88/year minimum | €79/year |
FeaturePricing Incogni€71.88/year minimum CrabClear (by meetergo team)€79/year | ||
Political Risk Exposure | High | None |
FeaturePolitical Risk Exposure IncogniHigh CrabClear (by meetergo team)None | ||
Data Leaves EU | Yes | Never |
FeatureData Leaves EU IncogniYes CrabClear (by meetergo team)Never | ||
The US Surveillance Problem Nobody Talks About
Understanding the CLOUD Act Risk
The Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act fundamentally breaks privacy promises. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation's analysis, this 2018 legislation grants US law enforcement access to data held by US companies, regardless of storage location.
When you provide Incogni with your personal information including full name, addresses, and phone numbers, you're creating a consolidated profile on US servers. This data becomes accessible to US authorities without your knowledge or EU court intervention.
Key CLOUD Act vulnerabilities:
- US authorities can demand data without notifying you
- No EU court can intervene once data touches US infrastructure
- Even EU-stored data is vulnerable if the company operates in the US
- Gag orders prevent companies from disclosing data requests
Executive Order Instability
Privacy protections for EU citizens in the US exist only through executive orders. As privacy researcher Max Schrems noted in his landmark case analysis, these can change overnight without congressional approval.
Why 420 Brokers Represents Only 28% of the Problem
Through meetergo's extensive research developing CrabClear, we identified over 1,500 data brokers globally, not the 420 Incogni covers. This means Incogni addresses less than 28% of the actual data broker ecosystem.
The Hidden Broker Ecosystem
Regional EU Brokers (300+) German financial aggregators, French marketing firms, and Nordic profiling companies operate exclusively in local languages. These brokers remain invisible to US-based services like Incogni.
B2B Enrichment Services (350+)
Companies like Clearbit and ZoomInfo subsidiaries that most consumers never encounter hold extensive personal data. They combine information from multiple sources, creating detailed profiles that include both personal and professional information.
Niche Industry Specialists (400+)
- Healthcare brokers: Aggregate medical conditions and prescription histories
- Insurance brokers: Compile risk profiles from driving records to social media
- Financial brokers: Create creditworthiness assessments beyond traditional scores
Asian Data Markets (200+) Chinese marketing firms and Indian call centers increasingly purchase EU citizen data. These markets are completely ignored by Western-focused services.
Emerging Brokers (250+) New companies appear at 20-30 per month. The low barrier to entry means constant ecosystem growth that traditional removal services can't keep pace with.
GDPR Compliance: The Difference Between Checkbox and Reality
Working with meetergo's GDPR implementation for Mercedes Benz and Shop Apotheke taught us the critical distinction between "GDPR-compliant" and "GDPR-native."
Checkbox Compliance (Incogni's Approach)
Incogni technically achieves GDPR compliance through administrative requirements:
- Signs standard contractual clauses
- Posts privacy policies
- Obtains user consent
- Processes through US infrastructure anyway
The result? Your data remains under US jurisdiction despite the GDPR paperwork.
True EU Data Sovereignty (meetergo's CrabClear Approach)
CrabClear, built by meetergo's privacy team, takes a fundamentally different approach:
- Data never leaves EU borders
- Processing exclusively on German servers
- Full EU court jurisdiction applies
- Zero foreign surveillance exposure
As privacy lawyer Estelle Masse from Access Now states in her comprehensive guide on data localization: "Data localization within the EU provides the strongest protection against foreign surveillance."
The Subscription Model Problem
Incogni charges €71.88 yearly minimum for ongoing access. But why should data removal require perpetual payments?
Understanding GDPR Article 17
The "right to erasure" establishes privacy as a fundamental right, not a subscription service. Once data is comprehensively removed from all 1,500+ brokers, maintenance should be minimal.
According to GDPR Article 17, data controllers must erase personal data without undue delay when requested. This is a one-time action, not an ongoing service requiring monthly fees.
The subscription trap creates perverse incentives:
- Services need ongoing threats to justify payments
- Complete removal would eliminate revenue streams
- Users pay indefinitely for partial protection
- No incentive to permanently solve the problem
How meetergo's Team Built a Better Alternative
The CrabClear Difference
Leveraging meetergo's five years of GDPR expertise serving 26,000+ clients, we built CrabClear with three core principles:
1. Complete EU Sovereignty
Using the same Frankfurt-based infrastructure that powers meetergo's scheduling platform, CrabClear ensures:
- All processing within German data centers
- No US corporate structure or subsidiaries
- Data never crosses EU borders
- Complete immunity from US surveillance laws
2. Comprehensive Coverage
Our research revealed the true scope of the data broker problem:
- 1,500+ brokers identified and targeted
- 3.5x more coverage than Incogni
- Includes regional EU brokers others miss
- Constantly expanding list as new brokers emerge
3. Ethical Pricing
Without VC pressure for growth at all costs:
- €79/year reflecting actual operational costs
- No inflated pricing for investor returns
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Transparent about what we cover and why
Why meetergo's Scheduling Platform Proves EU-Based Services Work
meetergo has successfully operated GDPR-native services for 26,000+ clients without compromising functionality. Our scheduling platform demonstrates that EU-based alternatives can match or exceed US competitors while maintaining complete data sovereignty.
meetergo's Privacy-First Features
The same principles that make meetergo trusted by Mercedes Benz and Shop Apotheke power CrabClear:
- 100% German infrastructure: All data processed in Frankfurt data centers
- GDPR-native architecture: Built from ground up for EU compliance
- Zero US dependencies: No AWS, Google Cloud, or US services
- Transparent data handling: Clear documentation of all data flows
- Unlimited free meetings: Privacy shouldn't be a luxury
Visit meetergo's security page to see how we implement these principles in practice.
Real-World Impact for meetergo Users
Our scheduling platform users benefit from knowing their data never leaves EU jurisdiction. When they book meetings through meetergo, their information stays protected under GDPR, unlike US-based scheduling alternatives.
This same protection extends to CrabClear. The expertise from protecting scheduling data for 26,000+ businesses now protects your personal information from data brokers.
The Other US-Based Services: Same Problems, Different Names
Before considering other Incogni alternatives, understand they share the same fundamental flaws:
DeleteMe
- Coverage: 750 brokers (better than Incogni)
- Processing: US servers
- Price: $129/year
- CLOUD Act: Vulnerable
OneRep
- Coverage: 196 sites (worse than Incogni)
- Processing: US infrastructure
- Price: $99/year
- CLOUD Act: Vulnerable
Privacy Bee
- Coverage: Manual process, varies
- Processing: US-based
- Price: $197/year
- CLOUD Act: Vulnerable
Each creates the same privacy paradox: providing detailed personal information to a US company to protect yourself from other US companies.
Making the Right Choice for Your Privacy
When evaluating data removal services, ask yourself these critical questions:
Can US Companies Protect You from US Surveillance?
If a company processes data in the US, it must comply with US law enforcement requests. No privacy policy can override the CLOUD Act.
Does 28% Coverage Solve Your Privacy Problem?
Removing your data from 420 brokers while leaving it with 1,080+ others is like locking your front door while leaving windows open.
Should Privacy Protection Require Endless Payments?
GDPR establishes privacy as a right, not a subscription service. Comprehensive removal should be a one-time solution with minimal maintenance.
The Bottom Line
Incogni removes some data from some brokers while:
- Exposing your information to US surveillance
- Missing 72% of the broker ecosystem
- Creating subscription dependency
- Processing EU data outside EU jurisdiction
For EU citizens serious about privacy, your data removal service must be as protected as the data you're trying to remove.
Take Action with meetergo's Privacy Solutions
For Comprehensive Data Removal
Join CrabClear's waitlist for 50% off launch pricing. First 50 customers receive exclusive early-bird pricing at just €39.50/year.
For GDPR-Compliant Scheduling
Try meetergo's free plan with unlimited meetings and complete EU data protection. See why 26,000+ businesses trust meetergo for privacy-first scheduling.