Sam Altman’s World Ordered To Delete All Iris Scan Data as Criticism Ramps Up

Key Takeaways

• The Spanish data protection watchdog has ordered Sam Altman’s World to delete all its iris scanning data.
• World has been the target of constant criticism from global regulators.
• The startup recently rebranded away from Worldcoin to focus solely on verification.

The Spanish data protection watchdog has ordered Sam Altman’s World, formerly Worldcoin, to delete all of its iris scanning data due to privacy concerns.

Reuters reported  that the AEPD made the decision because the startup breached the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Altman’s World Targeted

World’s latest order from the Spanish watchdog comes after months of criticism.

In March, Spain’s High Court dismissed an appeal from World to counteract a ban on the iris scanning startup, highlighting that it needed to safeguard the public interest.

The Spanish watchdog claimed that World’s processing of biometric data posed a significant risk to the rights of citizens.

World spoke out against the ban, claiming that the watchdog would cause “enormous damage and irreparable harm” to the country and the rest of the world.

Biometric Criticism

The Sam Altman co-founded venture has faced a flurry of criticism from global regulators regarding the startup’s data collection processes.

World integrates blockchain technology with biometric systems to provide a foundational identity layer for the internet, allowing users to prove they are human in a secure and decentralized manner.

However, critics argue that the biometric data collection in iris scans could be misused or compromised despite the venture’s claims of privacy preservation through cryptographic techniques.

World’s Rebrand

In October, World announced its rebrand away from “Worldcoin,” signaling a move from the obvious crypto connotations it had when it launched in 2019.

In 2023, a Tools for Humanity employee told Forbes  that the company’s new DNA was “the whole identity thing.”

“They no longer say they are a crypto company,” the employee said.

World was initially conceived as a way to distribute universal basic income through a one-time crypto payment following an iris scan.

However, following the explosion of AI, primarily driven by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the focus shifted towards a new priority: verifying human identity.

The company wants to provide every human with a “World ID,” which would prove their human status in a world of rapidly developing AI.