Worldcoin Data Questioned By French Privacy Watchdog

The legality of Worldcoin’s collection of biometric data “seems questionable,” according to France’s privacy authorities, according to Reuters.

Worldcoin, which was introduced earlier this week, gives tokens to users “just for being a unique individual.” People get their eyeballs scanned by a piece of equipment called “The Orb” in order to demonstrate their individuality and obtain the token.

Recently, the French regulator CNIL informed Reuters:

“The legality of this collection seems questionable, as do the conditions for storing biometric data.”

According to the regulator, it is in favour of the German state agency with jurisdiction in Bavaria looking into the matter.

According to Altman and his co-founders, Worldcoin might facilitate “global democratic processes” and offer “universal access to the global economy regardless of country or background” in the era of artificial intelligence.

However, ever since it was proposed in 2021, privacy concerns have caused a backlash, with Edward Snowden among those speaking out against it.

According to investor Spencer Bogart of Blockchain Capital, when the project received $115 million in funding in May, his company initially shared the concerns:

“It seemed Orwellian in nature and, at first glance, appears to be a noxious combination of hardware, biometrics, and crypto — a grab bag not for the faint of heart.”

Bogart currently asserts, however, that World ID is an identity protocol that protects privacy and doesn’t gather or keep anyone’s biometric data after looking into the project.