Worldcoin Under Investigation in South Korea for Privacy Violations and Unconventional Sign-Up Process
The Personal Information Protection Commission in South Korea has initiated an investigation into Worldcoin following complaints regarding the project’s collection of personal information, particularly the scanning of individuals’ irises in exchange for cryptocurrency.
The commission, as stated in a press release on Monday, will scrutinize Worldcoin’s collection, processing, and potential overseas transfer of sensitive personal information, taking corrective action if any violation of local privacy rules is uncovered. Notably, Worldcoin has been gathering data on people’s faces and irises at ten locations across South Korea.
The privacy watchdog previously fined OpenAI, co-founded by Worldcoin’s CEO Sam Altman, for a similar privacy breach. Worldcoin utilizes an Orb device for iris scanning, offering WLD tokens as a reward for participants. Concerns about the project’s unconventional sign-up process have been raised in various jurisdictions, including Hong Kong. The price of Worldcoin dipped 4.18% in the last 24 hours, reaching $7.99 as of Monday afternoon in Asia.
Clever Robot News Desk 5th March 2024
