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MetaMask Stores User IPs And Wallet Addresses. Do This To Avoid Getting Tracked.
A revised privacy agreement published on November 23 says that MetaMask will collect users’ IP and Ethereum wallet addresses in on-chain transactions. What this means and what you can do to avoid getting tracked.
MetaMask is currently one of the most popular self-custody wallets on the market with over 21 million monthly active users. That’s why their decision to collect user data has wide implications.
Why MetaMask Logging IPs and Wallet Addresses Is a Problem
In short: if you’re using MetaMask, your IP address and your Ethereum wallet address are getting logged with each transaction you make.
But there is more.
The moment you unlock the wallet it records ALL your addresses under the same IP. This makes it very easy to identify who you are and where you are located.
Bye bye consumer privacy and anonymity.
Dan Finlay, one of MetaMask’s co-founders, claims that they “are not using IP addresses even if they are being temporarily stored” — but seriously, after all the crap that just has been happening with FTX, it would be foolish to fully trust any kind of platform when it comes to your finances.
What’s more, Finlay is not telling the truth here. That’s because according to MetaMask’s parent company ConsenSys, user’s IPs and wallet addresses may be shared with affiliated companies in order to complete business transactions or to comply with identity verification and anti-money laundering requirements imposed by law enforcement authorities.
In other words, anyone who wants your data can either pay or force ConsenSys to get it.
