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ConsenSys Reveals That…….
Blockchain software technology company behind the Ethereum merge, ConsenSys, said that they collect IP addresses and other pieces of information of Metamask wallet users via a blockchain infrastructure service known as “Infura.”
According to the official ConsenSys website, the privacy policies section is updated, which denotes what information they collect from their users. The data they collect are identity information, contact information, profile information, feedback and correspondence, financial information, transaction information, usage information, marketing information, technical information and many more.
Both Metamask and Infura are owned by ConsenSys. Infura monitors blockchain nodes on the side of individuals and wallets. It touts itself as the world’s most powerful suite of high availability blockchain APIs and developer tools.
Infura is the default Remote Procedure Call (RPC) provider in Metamask. When someone uses Infura as the default RPC provider in the Metamask, it will collect the respective IP address and the Ethereum wallet address when someone processes a transaction.
Why, What $ What Not?
The ConsenSys stated-
“However, if you’re using your own Ethereum node or a third party RPC provider with MetaMask, then neither Infura nor MetaMask will collect your IP address or Ethereum wallet address (but you should be aware your information will be subject to whatever information collection performed by the RPC provider you are using and their terms regarding such collection).”
The decision of ConsenSys is not likable by everyone, as it collects both off-chain data like IP addresses, and on-chain data, such as transactions information and blockchain addresses, could be beneficial to identity legitimate users as well as fraudsters. But on the other side, it reduces the privacy level on the network.
In a Blog post as on November 24, ConsenSys states-
“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.”
On the same day, Dan Finlay, founder of Metamask, tweeted on Twitter- “I think we can get this fixed soon. We are not using IP addresses even if they are being temporarily stored, which they don’t need to be, as we’re not using them for anything.”
Founder and CEO of ConsenSys, Joseph Lubin, played an important role in the Ethereum merge. On September 14, 2022, he said in an interview with Bloomberg, that the event will be “enormously impactful” for the entire crypto industry.
With a background in journalism, Ritika Sharma has worked with many reputed media firms focusing on general news such as politics and crime. She joined The Coin Republic as a reporter for crypto, and found a great passion for cryptocurrency, Web3, NFTs and other digital assets. She spends a lot of time researching and delving deeper into these concepts around the clock, and is a strong advocate for women in STEM.
