Just a misunderstanding? MetaMask speaks up

ConsenSys weighs in on accusations against the MetaMask crypto wallet: among other things, data is kept for only seven days, according to ConsenSys.

ConsenSys weighs in on accusations against the MetaMask crypto wallet: among other things, data is kept for only seven days, according to ConsenSys.

Last week, a shock ran through the crypto world. The reason: the leading wallet MetaMask collects data from a total of 31 million of its users when they use the network via the Infura service. What’s set by default. This was announced by ConsenSys, the company behind both services. Many saw this as unfair because it’s one of Web3’s core promises: the right to privacy. They called for it to stop.

ConsenSys has updated the guidelines in a blog post now. They want to take the criticism seriously and also clear up "misunderstandings." It states: "We are committed to protecting the privacy of the users of our products, so our users won’t be betrayed by the latest centralized fault."

MetaMask stores user data for only seven days

According to the following: ConsenSys only stores transaction-related user data for up to seven days. "We have never sold, and we will never sell, our users’ data," the company pledges. "We use the data solely to ensure compliance with our privacy policy."

The company also says they will make it easier in the future for MetaMask users who don’t want Infura as the default to switch to an alternative service. Next week, new settings will be unlocked letting users pick their own service. "Ultimately, a user with the highest privacy expectations should have access to MetaMask without ever encountering a server they didn’t choose."

ConsenSys is one of the big players

The controversial MetaMask privacy update came shortly after Uniswap, the largest decentralized crypto exchange, announced a new privacy policy. Earlier this year, ConsenSys, the company behind MetaMask and Infura, raised more than $450 million in a Series D round. Valued at seven billion dollars, it’s one of the biggest players in the crypto space. ConsenSys was founded by Joseph Lubin, one of the co-founders of Ethereum.