Key Takeaways
- Worldcoin has agreed not to resume collecting and processing data until the end of 2024 or until the BayLDA probe reaches an end
- WorldCoin has offered users the option to remove iris codes as data privacy concerns loom over the firm
On June 4, the Spanish Agency for Data Protection (AEPD) announced that Worldcoin has agreed to continue the suspension of its services in Spain until the end of the year.
The latest development comes 3 months after the Spanish Data Watchdog banned Worldcoin for up to three months, demanding that the firm immediately cease the collection of personal information and stop using data it has already gathered.
As per reports, Tools for Humanity Corporation, the firm behind Worldcoin, has agreed to not resume collecting and processing data until the end of 2024 or until the investigation by the German Data Protection Agency (BayLDA) reaches an end
Worldcoin, launched in July 2023, requires users to give their iris scans in exchange for a digital ID and, in some countries, free crypto as part of plans to create a new “identity and financial network”.
Worldcoin scans people’s eyeballs using the Orb device which is a reflective metal ball that records information about a person’s iris in the form of a cryptographic code. Everyone who passes the scan will participate in periodic giveaways of WLD tokens.
As per its website, over 4 million people in 120 countries have signed up to have their irises scanned by Worldcoin’s “orb” devices. The project has however received criticism from cyber security campaigners from Argentina to Germany over the collection, storage and use of personal data.
The Bavarian Data Protection Supervisory Authority (BayLDA) started probing Worldcoin in November 2022 because of concerns that the project seeks to process “sensitive data at a very large scale” using new technology.
France’s privacy watchdog CNIL had also dubbed the legality of WorldCoin’s biometric data collection as “questionable”.Last month, Hong Kong announced that WorldCoin’s operations in the special administrative region violated the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO).
As the BayLDA probe progresses, Worldcoin has reportedly stepped up its security measures by open-sourcing its biometric data system. The firm has confirmed that users can now securely delete old iris codes.
WorldCoin has also introduced age verification controls to ensure compliance with regulations governing the collection of personal data from minors. The firm has also introduced the option for users to remove iris codes, providing greater control over their personal information.
