Ethereum Software Company Consensys Collects User Data, Privacy Statement Reveals – Privacy Bitcoin News

Crypto users have complained about a recent update to Consensys’ privacy policy stating that when Infura is exploited as a remote procedure call (RPC) via Metamask, wallet and IP address data is collected. The news follows a similar decision decentralized exchange (dex) platform Uniswap recently made regarding data collection. The Dex platform’s operator, Uniswap Labs, revealed that the company’s software collects users’ onchain data to power “data-driven decisions that improve the user experience.”

Consensys’ privacy policy discloses the collection of user data

The digital currency community and social media demographic known as ‘crypto Twitter’ (CT), has been talks an awful lot about Consensys’ privacy policy. The privacy policy applies to the firm’s Ethereum infrastructure platform Infura and Web3 wallet Metamask.

According to the policy, if a user exploits Infura and an RPC using Metamask, the software will collect the user’s crypto address and IP information. However, Infura is Metamask’s default RPC provider and another RPC can be used. For example, if a user operates his own node. Users can also switch to another RPC such as Tatum, Moralis, Alchemy and Quicknode.

“ConsenSys is committed to maintaining the highest standards when it comes to your privacy”

In addition, we basically collect all available data from you except for a DNA sample.

If you are not using a custom RPC for Metamask, I suggest you do so now. pic.twitter.com/WizpplYRFE

— ℭ𝔶𝔭𝔥𝔯.Ξ𝔱𝔥 (@CyphrETH) 24 November 2022

If the user switches RPC calls on Metamask from Infura to something else, the user’s crypto address and IP information will not be collected. The Consensys move follows Uniswap Labs explaining a similar decision in a blog post called “Uniswap Labs’ Commitment to Privacy.”

Uniswap’s decision was criticised a lot and Consensys’ privacy policy started running around November 24th. Metamask and the Infura topic have received equal success on social media and crypto-related forums. Bitcoin supporter and editor at satoshipapers.org, Tuur Demeester, shared his two cents about the situation.

“Etherean is waking up to the value of running its own full node, only to realize that’s no longer an option,” Demeester tweeted. “To wit: The first centralized actors started censoring transactions. Now Metamask, the main one [Ethereum] access provider, records IP and wallet addresses.”

Ethereum supporter Adam Cochran said it was a “stupid move.” “Okay, this Metamask privacy thing is another stupid move by Consensys,” Cochran tweeted. “Send me your best single self-hosted nodes, either hardware or SaaS,” he added.

Metamask tweeted about the situation on 24 November and explains that the privacy policy was updated the day before. “The language in our privacy policy was updated on November 23rd,” the Metamask wallet’s official Twitter account said. “Nothing has changed in the way MetaMask and Infura operate. Here’s a statement clarifying what we do with user data (spoiler: nothing).”

The statement Metamask shared was a blog post published by Consensys that says “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.”

What do you think of Consensys’ privacy statement? Let us know what you think about this topic in the comments section below.

Jamie Redman

Jamie Redman is the news editor at Bitcoin.com News and a financial technology journalist living in Florida. Redman has been an active member of the cryptocurrency community since 2011. He has a passion for Bitcoin, open source and decentralized applications. Since September 2015, Redman has written more than 6,000 articles for Bitcoin.com News about the disruptive protocols emerging today.