A curious question is why do we have contact with all races when we haven't met them.  In other space strategy sims it has been assumed that the player has contact with only players (or AI) that they have met or if an opponents planet falls within the players current scanner range through technology.  Since Sins doesn't have a range issue with ships, it comes down to contact only.  It would be an interesting feature to add since some opponents are across the galaxies and it might create a little bit of extra mystery of what races you are up against.  Maybe even a toggle to turn it on or off for a players choice.

It could work with putting pirate bounty on other players too making the player only able to put bounty on only players that they have met.