Sam Altman’s Worldcoin promised a global ID, so why are countries slamming the door?

OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman launched Worldcoin in 2023 to give people a digital identity to verify themselves securely and anonymously online.

The idea behind the project required people to scan their irises and, in exchange for their personal data, the company would reward them with a small amount of cryptocurrency, which it believed would inspire more people to sign up. 

Altman expressed his intention for Worldcoin as a “proof of personhood” because AI could mimic human behavior and talk like them, making it more difficult to tell who or what is real online. He also wanted to close the gap between the rich and the poor by giving everyone equal access to digital services without paperwork or passwords. 

In the beginning, Worldcoin was all hype as social media posts showed people waiting in long lines to scan their irises, especially in countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Most of the volunteers were more than happy to be a part of the global tech movement, while others were in it for the free cryptocurrency the company gave everyone who scanned their irises.

However, Altman’s vision of a connected and equal world began crumbling as people and governments raised concerns about the project’s privacy, data safety, fairness, and consent. 

Privacy groups slam Worldcoin over biometric risks and exploitation

Tech experts and privacy groups warned that the biometric data from these eye scans is extremely sensitive because the information connects directly to who you are as a person. And since you can’t change your eyes like your password, a hacker could easily stalk or steal from you. 

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) also criticized the project by saying the company rushed to collect information from third-world countries because the people were unaware of how Worldcoin would use, protect, or delete their data. 

In addition, people raised concerns about consent because Worldcoin would sometimes target individuals with limited internet access or education since they are less likely to understand the risks and make a more informed decision. Some users even claimed they only registered for Worldcoin for the free cryptocurrency but did not know how the company would use their data.

Worldcoin also faced scrutiny over transparency, as it failed to clearly explain how user data was stored, who had access to it, and what would happen if the company changed ownership or shut down.

Although Worldcoin claimed to anonymize the data, experts pointed out that it could still be traced back to the individual with the right tools. Once a scan is in the company’s database, it could remain there indefinitely.

Due to mounting concerns, various governments launched investigations into Worldcoin’s practices. Nations like Spain, Portugal, and Kenya are at the forefront of demanding Worldcoin cease operations in their regions.  These actions prove that many governments globally are moving too fast, breaking several legislative laws that seek to protect user interests.

Worldcoin tries to win back trust after bans

Due to the government pushback, Worldcoin quickly tried to save its image and respond to the growing criticism by sharing the code behind its Orb scanning device to help people understand how it worked and prove that it wasn’t secretly collecting more data than it claimed. 

Furthermore, the company introduced “Personal Custody” to allow users to control their data by storing it themselves or deleting it from the database. Moreover, Worldcoin brought in independent experts to perform third-party audits to ascertain that the company’s technology and policies aligned with the regulations the way Worldcoin claimed. 

Despite these efforts, legal and tech experts still have mixed opinions because some say it was the first step toward making things right, while others claim that these efforts were not enough and that the company still has big problems to solve.

Therefore, even after all the changes Worldcoin has made, the gap between what the company claims and what regulators believe remains wide because regulators say the company still needs to explain, fix, and prove more before the uplift bans. 

The Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) plans to summon the developers of Worldcoin and WorldID next week. This action follows the temporary suspension of the platforms that collect users’ iris data for alleged regulatory violations.