User data is collected over MetaMask by Ethereum software firm ConsenSys

Key points: 

• ConsenSys announced that it also collects user data related to its on-chain wallet service MetaMask.
• It collects some data related to user identification, such as contact details, profile information, and some other user data when Infura, the default RPC provider, is used on the MetaMask digital wallet.
• If the user switches to a different RPC on MetaMask, no financial data will be collected.

ConsenSys, one of the companies behind the Ethereum merger, said on Thursday that it also collects user data related to its on-chain wallet service MetaMask.

The news comes days after the decentralized cryptocurrency exchange (DEX) Uniswap reportedly made a similar update to its privacy policy.

ConsenSys states that it collects some data related to user identification, such as contact details, profile information, and some other user data.

The company added that when Infura, the default remote procedure call (RPC) provider, is used on the MetaMask digital wallet, Infura collects users’ IP addresses and Ethereum wallet addresses for transactions. RPC is a protocol for requesting data and information from programs running on third-party computer servers.

If the user switches to a different RPC on MetaMask, no financial data will be collected. Blockchain tools developer Infura and digital wallet MetaMask are both products offered by ConsenSys.

Meanwhile, members of the crypto Twitter community expressed displeasure at the move, which some saw as an invasion of users’ privacy — one of the core ethos of the crypto space.