ConsenSys, which operates the popular cryptocurrency wallet MetaMask, said an update to the wallet has made no change to the data the platform collects from its users, only the wording had changed. The statement came in reaction to online critics who said the company had expanded its collection of personal data.
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Fast facts
- “The language in our privacy policy was updated on November 23rd. Nothing has changed in the way MetaMask and Infura (a related Web3 development toolkit for Ethereum) operate,” MetaMask tweeted on Friday.
- On Friday, ConsenSys said in a blog post that the updated language was designed to better communicate the extent of user data the firm collected, which includes the IP addresses of computers using the program and wallet addresses whenever a transaction is completed. It said this is necessary for the wallet to be able to provide the service.
- IP addresses stand for Internet Protocol address and allow each computer to communicate and be identified over a network.
- Some users found this controversial as one of the key tenets of blockchain and cryptocurrency is privacy and pseudonymous interactions.
- The move also comes amid a broader push from the crypto community to store assets on cold wallets — wallets not connected to the internet — following the collapse of FTX.
- “Protect your privacy!” wrote one Twitter user, @0xBiZzy, “With the recent news that Metamask/Infura is collecting your IP and wallet addresses, I urge you to take the time to change your RPC.”
- An RPC stands for remote procedure call and is used by developers to build decentralized apps (dApps) and allow for programs to connect directly with the blockchain.
See related article: ConsenSys raises US$200M as MetaMask surpasses 21M monthly active users