After the FTX collapse, the Web3 segment is a bit shaken up by the announcement from the MetaMask Team. Many crypto users checked the RPC provider their dApps are using for the first time ever, and what did they discover?
Top Blockchain RPC Providers are Tracking clients’ IP addresses
On November 24, a Leading EVM blockchain wallet has stated that it transfers its users' IP addresses to an RPC endpoint provider, Infura. MetaMask uses Infura's API by default.
While Crypto Twitter was outraged by the announcement of the #1 decentralized wallet in Web3, the MetaMask team posted another. It tried to explain that nothing extraordinary happened because the new guidance "did not result in more invasive data collection or data processing, nor were they developed in response to regulatory changes or requirements". But some users decided to switch their RPC provider from Infura to another company immediately.
MetaMask users were surprised to find out that other RPC providers adhered to the same standards. Alchemy, Moralis, and Quicknode also collected users' IP addresses, as well as other types of personal information, according to Chinese crypto media company BlockBeats.
Is it dangerous for users?
It's easy guess why this is dangerous for ordinary cryptocurrency holders and Web3 applications.
First, it exposes DeFi users to surveillance: with this information, any regulator can link a user’s IP address to a transaction. With government agencies cracking down on encrypted user privacy again, this fact must worry Web3 novices and professionals alike. This is inconsistent with the on-chain, non-custodial, decentralized ethos of Web3 applications.
The policy has already led to a censorship campaign at least once: In March 2022, some users in Venezuela and Iran were unable to use the MetaMask and Infura services. These restrictions are even more dangerous for on-chain application teams, as they could expose visitor data for tracking purposes. So the time is ripe to try out the service, which prioritizes customer privacy and anonymity.
Time to Move to an RPC Provider that Doesn’t Sacrifice Your Privacy
GetBlock has never tracked its customers' IP addresses and wallet data. GetBlock is KYC neutral: we do not ask our clients to provide their ID and credit card information, as we are not and need not be a financial institution or similar.
We value your privacy and only collect and store the information necessary to provide our services (see our Privacy Policy for more information). However, GetBlock does not log or store the IP addresses of its users. We do not link IP addresses to our users' identities and/or their wallet addresses, so users remain anonymous. Additionally, GetBlock accepts cryptocurrencies as a payment method. Users do not need to share bank card information to use GetBlock.
We use the Google Analytics service for a better user experience - but this may not allow us to track user activity on our sites. Our users can log into GetBlock using their email address, as this is the most intuitive way for most of them. All of our users who prioritize anonymity have the option to use privacy-oriented email services such as Proton Mail, Tutanota, and other reliable platforms. Therefore, switching to GetBlock is a smart choice for all dApps. Your dApp is always one step ahead when it comes to user privacy and anonymity.
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