The company that owns MetaMask, ConsenSys, put out a statement on Nov. 23 to clarify why it was collecting data after the community pushed back on a first change to the privacy policy.
Read More: Infura Collecting MetaMask Users’ IP, Ethereum Addresses After Privacy Policy Update
The company said that the policy has always explained how IP addresses and other types of personal information are collected automatically. ConsenSys says that the most recent changes were made to show how Infura, MetaMask’s default RPC, works with user data.
A Remote Procedure Call, or RPC, node is a type of computer server that lets users read information from the blockchain and send transactions to different networks.
The company also said in a previous blog post that if you want other third-party MetaMask RPC “neither Infura nor MetaMask will collect your IP address or Ethereum wallet address.” Alchemy, QuickNode, Moralis, and Tatum are some of the other RPCs that Ethereum developers can use. These tools also have their own rules about how they collect data, which could also change in the future.
ConsenSys highlighted that MetaMask itself does not collect IP addresses.
In a tweet, the company claimed only the language of the policy was updated, and “nothing” else about the policy or data collection is different.
The language in our privacy policy was updated on November 23rd.
Nothing has changed in the way MetaMask and Infura operate.
Here’s a statement clarifying what we do with user data (spoiler: nothing).https://t.co/4dDKMvcMvv
— MetaMask 🦊🫰 (@MetaMask) November 24, 2022
Speaking to Cointelegraph, ConsenSys said:
“Infura does not improperly exploit this information, and ConsenSys does not monetize this information as some Web2 companies do.”
Why is the ConsenSys update spreading panic among crypto users?
According to BusinessWire, MetaMask has 21M monthly active users accessing Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), and more.
Following the FTX Saga, everyone is looking for a non-custodial digital asset-storing option, and we know MetaMask is the most popular self-custodial wallet. However, at this time, this Consensys privacy update has received some backlash from the crypto community.
Some said MetaMask is no more a self-custodial wallet and they collect our IP address, contact information, and much personal info, some said to use alternative wallet other said to use cold storage wallets. So what do we do now?
Conclusion
Spreading too much noise on Twitter: so many people say so many things, but how can you filter out the positive thoughts from the noise? First, you read the company policy.
ConsenSys privacy policy update blog post
2- https://consensys.net/privacy-policy/
1- https://consensys.net/blog/news/privacy-policy-update/
If you use other third-party RPC like Alchemy, QuickNode, Moralis, and Tatum that Ethereum developers can use. These tools also have their own rules about how they collect data, which could also change in the future.
If you want to use an online self-custody wallet so Metamask is best otherwise you use cold storage (hardware wallet) is which totally saved. A hardware wallet is the ultimate final option.
