MetaMask could collect user IP data

ConsenSys, one of the firms behind the Ethereum Merge, revealed on Nov. 24 that it also collects user data related to its on-chain wallet service MetaMask. The firm said when using Infura as an RPC on MetaMask, a user’s IP address and wallet address information would be collected as well.

According to the new privacy policy, ConsenSys collects some data related to user identification, such as contact details, profile information along with some other user data.

The firm said that when using Infura, which is the default remote procedure call (RPC) provider, on digital wallet MetaMask, Infura will collect the user’s IP address and Ethereum wallet address for transactions. RPC is a protocol for requesting data and information from a program running on a third-party computer server.

If a user switches to a different RPC on MetaMask the financial data will not be collected. Blockchain tool developer Infura and the digital wallet MetaMask are both products that are offered by ConsenSys.

Crypto community on Twitter already expressed displeasure at the move, as some felt invaded a user’s privacy – one of the core ethos of the crypto space.

The news comes days after the biggest decentralized crypto exchange (DEX) Uniswap made a similar revelation to its privacy policy.