Yes they do what they say on the tin. You get fewer spearphishing attempts and stuff like that.

You don’t get fewer targeted ads. You are less likely to end up in private databases that law enforcement makes use of when they don’t want to or aren’t allowed to run you through the official systems.

If all you care about is the specter of big tech and ads then it’s not gonna make you happy. If you’re trying to spend less time figuring out if something is a legit email or a scam, or you want there to be less of a chance for cops to id you in a third party db then you may see some real benefits.

Here's a pretty good video that explains what Incogni and their ilk are and aren't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX3JT6q3AxA

They pretty much just remove you from all those different people finder websites. Not the data brokers that Meta (etc) sell to/from.

It's still beneficial if you can afford it, but more likely to protect you from targeted scams or stalkers etc. than anything Big Tech.

No, I would never trust them. General rule of thumb: don't trust Youtube advertisements. They seem very sketchy to me. Why would these companies and data brokers willingly delete your data by just asking? Not to mention that it would instantly resurface in a million other areas. The best thing to do is to instead not give out that information in general, or not make it obvious who you are.

This is fantastic, thank you.