Yes, racial characteristics should not just appear in the info box as soon as you contact them. It should take some time to figure out what a race is like, technologically, socially, politically, etc.
I also agree that stars and planets should be individually nameable by each empire. You could have an option to turn on 'alternative names' where you could get the other names given to a system or planet by other empires which you have diplomatic contact with. Yes, it could get messy with 20 names for each planet and star system...
But it would add SO MUCH to the realism of the game to be able to have internally consistent cultures in conflict over the 'external world' of the game map.
Colonies should not be instantly identifiable either. You should have to approach within a certain range, dependent on your sensors and any 'stealth' tech that the colony might have, just like ships before you can even see them. And you won't necessarily know
whoinhabits the colony unless you approach closer for a scan, openly hail it, or sit and spy on it for a while.
Ships ought to be able to operate in some circumstances without being identified. First, if you destroy an enemy task force down to the Last ship, just how is the enemy going to get word that it was
your forces which destroyed his? If he had a scan of your approach Last turn, that's on thing. But if you uncloaked and wiped them out in a single battle their loss should be a mystery. It should also be possible to set 'privateers' out to attack here and their without obvious connection to your empire. Only if one of them gets captured should it be possible to identify where it came from.