Spain has banned Sam Altman’s Worldcoin for up to three months due to what it sees as privacy risks from the firm scanning users’ irises in exchange for a digital ID and free cryptocurrency.
Spain’s data protection regulator, AEPD, said on Wednesday that it had asked Worldcoin to immediately stop collecting personal information and to stop using data already collected.
The AEPD initiative came after several complaints about insufficient information, collection of minors’ data and withdrawal of consents, the agency said.
Worldcoin did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Spain’s move. The company has previously said that biometric data is deleted or stored in encrypted form and that it is “committed” to cooperating with regulators.
The Spanish regulator said that the processing of biometric data, which enjoys special protection under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), “implies high risks to the rights of individuals, taking into account of their sensitive nature”.
In a statement, the regulator said that urgent measures temporarily banning Worldcoin’s activities are justified “to avoid potentially irreparable harm”, adding that failure to act would deprive people of the protection to which they are entitled.
The data authority in neighboring Portugal said it was in contact with its counterpart in the German state of Bavaria to check whether Worldcoin’s data processing complies with the GDPR and said it was talking to companies involved in the project.
According to its website, more than 4 million people in 120 countries have signed up to have their irises scanned by Worldcoin’s “orb” devices. But the project has drawn criticism from privacy activists from Argentina to Germany over the collection, storage and use of personal data.
Altman says the ID provided by the company will allow users to, among other things, prove online that they are human, especially in a future world dominated by artificial intelligence.
Worldcoin is backed by some of the biggest names in venture capital, including a16z crypto and Bain Capital Crypto.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
