Blockchain
Blockchain software program firm ConsenSys clarified that it plans to solely retailer and retain consumer IP addresses and pockets information for as much as seven days. That is an try and reassure customers that their private info is being dealt with securely, after it noticed a backlash when it first mentioned it was accumulating such information.
“We retain and delete consumer information resembling IP tackle and pockets tackle pursuant to our information retention coverage. We’re engaged on narrowing retention to 7 days and we are going to append these retention insurance policies to our privateness coverage in an upcoming replace,” it mentioned in a press release.
Final month, ConsenSys up to date its privateness coverage, stating that it collects IP addresses and pockets addresses of MetaMask customers once they use the infrastructure service Infura, which can also be owned by ConsenSys. Infura is the default means for MetaMask customers to hook up with the Ethereum blockchain.
This instantly sparked privateness considerations. The principle one being {that a} mixture of on-chain information, like blockchain addresses and transactions, and off-chain information, like IP addresses, might have the ability to establish people and scale back the quantity of privateness out there on the community.
ConsenSys additionally mentioned that it intends to restrict information assortment to on-chain transactions, not when customers merely test their account balances. This would cut back the quantity of instances this information is collected.
ConsenSys added that it’ll make it simpler for customers so as to add a third-party RPC supplier in a future replace to provide customers extra selections. This may make it simpler for customers to make use of various companies to Infura and keep away from ConsenSys’s information assortment.