Can a MetaTrader 5 Broker Detect My Device, Login Instances, and Server OS?
Hello everyone,
I have a question about privacy while using MetaTrader 5. Specifically, I want to know:
- Can the broker detect what type of device I am using to access MT5 (e.g., mobile, desktop, or VPS)?
- Can they see if I am logged in from one or multiple devices simultaneously?
- Is it possible for the broker to identify the operating system of the server or machine I am using (e.g., Windows, Linux, or macOS)?
For example, my MetaTrader journal logs sometimes include detailed information like these:
- 2024.12.18 23:47:43.388 Windows Server 2019 Standard x64, RDP, UAC, 8 x Intel Xeon Processor (Cascade Lake), Memory: 2048 / 8192 Mb, Disk: 30 / 100 Gb, GMT+3
- 2024.12.25 10:15:21.390 Windows 11 Pro x64, UAC, 16 x Intel Core i7-12700K @ 3.80GHz, Memory: 5120 / 16384 Mb, Disk: 250 / 500 Gb, GMT+1
These logs show information about the operating system, processor, memory usage, disk space, and even the time zone. My concerns are:
- Does MetaTrader send all this detailed information to the broker’s server?
- If so, does the broker receive everything from the journal, or is it limited to certain fields like operating system or hardware type?
- How can I protect my privacy and prevent the broker from accessing information such as the use of RDP, the type of CPU, or the server operating system?
I would greatly appreciate any insights or recommendations on tools, configurations, or best practices to limit the information shared with the broker.
Looking forward to your advice. Thank you in advance!
My understanding, based on information provided by a former broker-dealer employee, is that your broker-dealer can view everything in the Journal tab of MT5.
It seems logical because broker-dealers lease or purchase MT5 servers from MQ, and broker-dealers run them on-site. Furthermore, MQ is clearly able to identify your OS because mql5 Market products are licensed to individual devices, and an extra product activation is added when an OS updates. I'm not aware of any way to obscure your system specs, if that would even be desirable. Trading is a two-way street, so some functionality might break. I do wonder whether installing MT5 in Portable Mode pulls the same specs. I don't know because I haven't used it.
What I would be concerned with is the Experts tab because this is where indicator names, EA names, and input settings print. This, you have some control over by way of randomizing file names and hard coding settings.
I understand the privacy matter, but honestly speaking, what can your broker do with these informations?!
The fact that I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not after me.😬
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Hello everyone,
I have a question about privacy while using MetaTrader 5. Specifically, I want to know:
For example, my MetaTrader journal logs sometimes include detailed information like these:
These logs show information about the operating system, processor, memory usage, disk space, and even the time zone. My concerns are:
I would greatly appreciate any insights or recommendations on tools, configurations, or best practices to limit the information shared with the broker.
Looking forward to your advice. Thank you in advance!