Privacy of information is crucial in each sector, especially the online activities that are carried out each day. Messaging individuals from different platforms require their information to be protected by all means. Therefore, the introduction of Metadata privacy was enhanced, but what is Metadata privacy and why does it matter? How is our information protected by metadata?
Metadata privacy is the protection of information about the data rather than the data itself. Metadata privacy ensures that data is protected and managed but if exposed it might lead to privacy and security risks.
In the context of cryptocurrency transactions, Metadata privacy is additional data or information that is accompanied by crypto transactions. Transactions of cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH are documented and authenticated in Blockchain technology, but with Metadata privacy, information is added to the context of transactions.
What Is Metadata Privacy?
Metadata privacy consists of protecting the information of not only the data but also the data itself. In the context of communication, it entails when and where the information was sent, how the information was created, how it was transmitted and who accessed the information. In Blockchain technology, Metadata focuses on the transaction, it provides information that is not directly intended for the transaction. However, it provides additional functionality to the transfer. In the course of Blockchain technology, Metadata privacy is in two forms the On-Chain Metadata and the Off-Chain Metadata.
On-chain metadata is transaction information that is stored in the Blockchain network such that anyone with link access to the Blockchain can see it. External references, notes or transaction labels are all stored in On-chain metadata.
Off-chain metadata is transaction information that is not stored directly on Blockchain, but rather on the outer links. These external links consist of documents, files and web URLs. These external links provide further information concerning transactions and thus are included in the off-chain Metadata.
Metadata privacy is a crucial technology that is emphasized in Blockchain, there are important details that need to be stored either directly in blockchain or not included in Blockchain. For instance, transaction details, token properties and smart contract codes are important to Blockchain technology and thus being stored on on-chain metadata. Additionally, off-chain metadata encourages flexibility and efficiency by storing Blockchain information externally.
Moreover, it is a huge concept in Blockchain technology, the network is acknowledged for its transparency. Utilizing the metadata privacy technology in the network it enhances privacy and transparency which are crucial in the network. But what are some of the Metadata details in Blockchain? Below are samples of Metadata details.
Example Of Metadata Privacy In Blockchain
Transaction Details
During transactions, there are essential details that are recorded in Blockchain. For example, the sender and the recipient’s address and the amount being transacted. Therefore, it is essential to maintain privacy in Blockchain to protect such sensitive customer information. Metadata privacy is thus encouraged in Blockchain to hide external members from acquiring sensitive information in Blockchain.
Digital Signature
Transactions in Blockchain are digital, and in order to validate transaction signatures are needed. This is to confirm ownership and legitimate transaction, therefore, by employing metadata privacy in blockchain, we make the transaction as anonymous as possible. This ensures the sender’s privacy is maintained, by guaranteeing the signatures are anonymous there won’t be leakage of the senders’ information.
Significance Of Metadata Privacy
Blockchain technology ensures transparency and immutability in the decentralized network. By employing metadata privacy, personal privacy is maintained. Metadata in Blockchain displays users’ information such as time, hardware used, location and sensitive data. By utilizing Metadata privacy developers ensure that external individuals will not have access to such details.
Additionally, Metadata is risky, especially during transactions. It enriches the information concerning the transaction. It displays information about the recipient, the sender and the amount of crypto that is transacted. By employing metadata privacy we are certain that individual profiles will be protected. By safeguarding metadata the issues of detail breaches will be curbed. Moreover, it ensures that there is content control, and metadata is known for providing details that do not need to be seen and are sensitive. Therefore metadata privacy ensures that control of content is enriched to the core by controlling access and sensitive data.
Utilizing zero-knowledge proof in metadata privacy ensures that the blockchain is protected. This makes it a significant feature in the network. Zero-knowledge proof ensures that the amount of cryptocurrency transacted is not disclosed. Moreover, in Blockchain technology, on-chain metadata displays transaction details in the network. Anyone with access to the network can see the details of the sender, recipient and the amount transacted. Therefore, metadata privacy will ensure that sensitive details will not be displayed by external individuals.
Conclusions
The world is digitizing each day, sharing of information is being made online and privacy is essential. However, there are risks associated with sending details such as pictures or transactions that are made on Blockchain. Metadata surfaces information that is very sensitive, by employing metadata privacy, developers ensure that such information is not accessible to anyone. Therefore, we are sure by employing certain technology in metadata privacy such as zero-knowledge proof, we will be protecting our digital footprints.
