ConsenSys said the privacy policy update was just a reminder of how user data is collected

Earlier this week, ConsenSys said it would collect certain user IP address data and financial information from MetaMask customers who use RPC Infura.However, faced with negative reactions, the company began to argue that the update in no way weakens the privacy of MetaMask users.“The policy updates do not result in more intrusive data collection or processing and were not made in response to any regulatory changes or requests. Our policy has always indicated that certain information about how users use our sites is automatically collected, and that this information may include IP addresses. When users interact with Ethereum or other blockchains – for example, sending a transaction or requesting a balance – through an RPC like Infura, the provider receives both the user’s IP address and the wallet address to provide the service. This does not apply only to Infura and is consistent with the way the web architecture works in general, although we continue to look for technical solutions to minimize this risk, including anonymization techniques,” the developers wrote.ConsenSys said the privacy policy update was more of a reminder to users about how their data is handled.“As more and more users are exploring ways to store their crypto assets non-custodially, our policy has been updated to inform users about how MetaMask works, including emphasizing the use of Infura as the default RPC provider in MetaMask. Users can also use a third-party RPC provider in MetaMask. However, the updated policy makes it clear that users should know that their information will be collected by the RPC provider they use,” ConsenSys reported.