ContactOut is a popular recruiting and sales tool that provides access to the email addresses and phone numbers of over 300 million professionals from 30 million companies. If you've ever received an unsolicited recruitment email or cold call from someone who shouldn't have your contact details, ContactOut may be the source. Here's how to remove yourself from their database.
What Is ContactOut?
ContactOut is a data broker platform primarily used by recruiters, sales professionals, and hiring managers to find direct contact information for potential candidates and prospects. The service works as a browser extension that overlays contact data on LinkedIn profiles, giving users instant access to personal email addresses, work emails, and phone numbers that aren't publicly listed.
ContactOut typically collects and displays:
- Personal and work email addresses
- Direct phone numbers and mobile numbers
- Full name and current job title
- Work history and education details
- Company information and LinkedIn profile data
- Social media profiles and GitHub accounts
The platform sources its data from public records, web scraping, data partnerships, and user-contributed information. What makes ContactOut particularly invasive is its ability to surface personal email addresses — not just your work email — making it harder to maintain boundaries between your professional and private life.
Why You Should Remove Yourself From ContactOut
There are several compelling reasons to opt out:
- Exposure of personal email: ContactOut often lists personal Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook addresses alongside your work email, inviting unwanted contact to your personal inbox.
- Unwanted recruitment spam: Recruiters using ContactOut may flood your inbox with irrelevant job opportunities.
- Data aggregation risk: Your contact details combined with employment history create a rich profile that can be exploited for social engineering attacks.
- No consent required: ContactOut collects your data without asking you — most people don't even know their information is listed.
Did You Know?
ContactOut claims to have contact data for 300 million professionals worldwide. That means there's a high probability your personal information is in their database, even if you've never heard of the service.
How to Opt Out of ContactOut: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Find Your Profile
- Go to contactout.com.
- Search for your name to see if you have a listing.
- Note the URL of your ContactOut profile if one exists.
Step 2: Visit the Opt-Out Page
- Navigate to the ContactOut opt-out page at contactout.com/optout.
- Fill in the required information: your full name, email address, and the URL of your ContactOut profile (if you found one).
- Complete the CAPTCHA verification to prove you're not a bot.
- Submit the opt-out request form.
Step 3: Confirm Via Email
- Check your email inbox for a confirmation message from ContactOut.
- Click the confirmation link to finalize your removal request.
- Your profile should be removed within 24 hours, though full removal from all systems may take up to 30 days.
Use a Disposable Email Address
When contacting any data broker — including ContactOut — consider using a disposable or alias email address. Data brokers have been known to add new contact information to their databases when you reach out to them, even when the purpose of your contact is to opt out. Email alias services can help you communicate without exposing your real address.
Alternative Removal Methods
Email Request
If the online form doesn't work or you want a paper trail, send an email to ContactOut's privacy team requesting deletion of your data. Include your full name, all email addresses you want removed, and reference your rights under CCPA or GDPR. Request written confirmation of the deletion.
CCPA/GDPR Formal Request
If you're a California resident or located in the EU/UK, you have specific legal rights to demand data deletion. Cite the relevant regulation in your request and note that the company has 45 days (CCPA) or 30 days (GDPR) to comply. Failure to comply can result in regulatory penalties.
What Happens After Removal
Once ContactOut processes your opt-out:
- Your profile will no longer appear in search results on the platform.
- The browser extension will no longer display your contact information when users view your LinkedIn profile.
- Your email addresses and phone numbers will be removed from their active database.
However, be aware that ContactOut regularly refreshes its database. If your information becomes publicly available again through other sources, your data may be re-added. This is why ongoing monitoring is essential.
Stop Data Brokers From Re-Listing You
ContactOut is just one of hundreds of platforms that trade in professional contact data. Services like Lusha, RocketReach, SignalHire, Kaspr, and Apollo.io all do the same thing. Opting out of each one individually is a never-ending game of whack-a-mole.
PrivacyOn takes a different approach. Instead of relying on you to find and opt out of each data broker manually, PrivacyOn continuously monitors over 100 data broker sites and automatically submits removal requests whenever your information appears. With plans starting at $8.33/month and family plans covering up to 5 people, PrivacyOn is the most efficient way to keep your personal and professional data out of data broker databases for good.