ConsenSys, a leading Ethereum software developer, has revealed it collects user data from customers of its crypto wallet MetaMask.
An update to the company’s privacy policy published on Thursday indicated that ConseSys’ remote procedure call (RPC) feature Infura will collect the IP address and ETH wallet information of MetaMask users whenever they transact. The data collected will also include contact info and a user’s profile information.
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While Infura is the default RPC provider on MetaMask, ConsenSys says users can use their own node or opt for third party RPC providers. In this case, crypto users unhappy with the MetaMask move could look to platforms like Ankr and Alchemy.
Crypto reacts to ConsenSys’ MetaMask move
ConsenSys owns both MetaMask and Infura and the updated privacy policy has elicited criticism on Crypto Twitter, with multiple observers noting that this could erode the very principle of privacy that’s core to crypto.
Following the widespread disapproval from across crypto, ConsenSys published a statement to say the privacy policy update wasn’t a result of regulatory pressure or inquiries. Part of the statement read:
“The updates to the policy do not result in more intrusive data collection or data processing, and were not made in response to any regulatory changes or inquiries. Our policy has always stated that certain information is automatically collected about how users use our Sites, and that this information may include IP addresses.”
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