How to Opt Out of Cognism

Cognism is a major B2B sales intelligence platform that collects and sells professional contact information — including your work email, phone number, job title, and company details — to sales teams around the world. If you've ever wondered how recruiters and salespeople seem to have your direct contact info, Cognism may be one of the sources. Here's how to remove yourself from their database.

What Is Cognism?

Cognism is a London-based data broker that specializes in B2B (business-to-business) sales intelligence. The platform aggregates professional data from publicly available sources, social media profiles, company websites, and third-party data partnerships to build detailed contact profiles of business professionals.

The information Cognism typically collects and sells includes:

• Full name and job title
• Work email addresses (both direct and generic)
• Direct-dial phone numbers and mobile numbers
• Company name, size, revenue, and industry
• Professional social media profile links
• Location and office address

Cognism is registered as a certified data broker with the California Department of Justice, which means it is legally required to honor opt-out requests from consumers.

Why You Should Opt Out of Cognism

Having your professional contact details freely available to thousands of sales teams creates several risks:

• Unwanted cold calls and emails: Sales reps use Cognism to reach you directly, bypassing your company's gatekeepers.
• Spam and phishing: Your verified contact details can be scraped or leaked, leading to targeted phishing attacks.
• Privacy erosion: Aggregating your professional data with other personal information makes it easier for bad actors to build a complete profile of you.
• Stalking and harassment: Direct phone numbers and workplace details can be exploited by individuals with malicious intent.

How to Opt Out of Cognism: Step-by-Step

Method 1: Use the Online Opt-Out Form

1. Navigate to the Cognism data opt-out page at cognism.com/data-opt-out.
2. Fill in the required fields, including your full name, email address, and any other identifying details.
3. Submit the opt-out request form.
4. You should receive an email confirmation acknowledging your request.

Method 2: Email the Privacy Team Directly

1. Send an email to privacy@cognism.io with the subject line "Opt-out Kaspr" or "Data Deletion Request."
2. In the body, include your full name, email address, phone number, and company name to help them locate your record.
3. Request that all your personal data be deleted from their systems and that you be added to their suppression list.
4. Reference your rights under the GDPR (if in the EU/UK) or CCPA (if in California) for faster processing.

Method 3: Contact by Phone

You can also reach Cognism's privacy team by calling +44 20 3858 0822 during UK business hours. Request to speak with someone from their data privacy or compliance team and ask for your data to be removed.

What Happens After You Opt Out

Once your opt-out request is processed:

• Your information will be removed from the Cognism data asset within 120 hours (approximately 5 business days).
• Your data will no longer appear in the Cognism browser extension widget.
• All Cognism users who previously saved your contact information will be notified of your opt-out and asked to delete your details.
• You will be placed on a suppression list to prevent re-collection.

How to Verify Your Information Was Removed

After waiting at least 5 business days:

1. Ask a colleague or friend with a Cognism account to search for your name.
2. If your profile still appears, follow up with the privacy team by emailing privacy@cognism.io with your original request reference.
3. If you are in the EU, you can also file a complaint with your local data protection authority if Cognism fails to comply with your deletion request.

Additional Data Rights You Can Exercise

Depending on your location, you have additional rights beyond simple deletion:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of all personal data Cognism holds about you.
• Right to Rectification: Correct any inaccurate information in their database.
• Right to Object: Object to the processing of your data for direct marketing purposes.
• Right to Restriction: Request that Cognism restrict how your data is used while a complaint is being resolved.

To exercise any of these rights, contact privacy@cognism.io with your specific request.

Protect Your Professional Privacy Automatically

Cognism is just one of hundreds of B2B data brokers that collect and sell professional contact information. Others include ZoomInfo, Apollo.io, Lusha, Clearbit, RocketReach, and LeadIQ. Manually opting out of each one is time-consuming and requires ongoing vigilance as your data is constantly re-harvested.

PrivacyOn monitors over 100 data broker sites — including B2B platforms like Cognism — and automatically submits removal requests on your behalf. With 24/7 monitoring and regular re-scans, PrivacyOn ensures your personal and professional data stays off these databases. Plans start at just $8.33/month, making it the most cost-effective way to protect your privacy across the entire data broker ecosystem.