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Worldcoin resumes services in South Korea after two months of suspended operation 

Policy & Regulation·May 13, 2024, 8:28 AM

Sam Altman’s iris-scanning project Worldcoin (WLD) has resumed its service in South Korea following two months of suspended operation, according to Digital Today. The project utilizes a device dubbed “Orbs” to collect personal biometric data from users who agreed to have their iris scanned by the machine. 

 

The service was suspended after a number of complaints were filed against Worldcoin in February for its data collection practices. In the following development, Korea’s Personal Information Protection Committee (PIPC) launched an investigation into Worldcoin to examine if any local privacy law has been violated by Worldcoin. This led to suspension of six Orbs installed in several areas in Seoul, including Yeouido and Yeoksam areas. 

 

While these Orbs have resumed operations, the investigation is still underway. The South Korean regulators are yet to decide what legal measures to take regarding Worldcoin, according to the press. 

https://asset.coinness.com/en/news/e515713485b079bdb0e6ef4900369e80.webp
Photo by Amanda Dalbjörn on Unsplash

Proof of personhood: Crypto tokens for simply being human 

Meanwhile, Worldcoin argues that it is impossible to identify an individual person by solely relying on the iris bio-data. It claims that the data will be only used in providing “proof of personhood” to distinguish humans from artificial intelligence (AI). The project aims to offer its WLD token to users “simply for being human” as universal basic income, whose jobs will be potentially replaced by artificial general intelligence (AGI) in the future.
 

A Worldcoin official added that the project has addressed potential privacy concerns by eliminating data custody processes and allowing users to remove their sensitive data at will. However, major countries including France and Spain have issued orders to suspend Worldcoin’s operation within their jurisdictions, citing risks involving personal data tracking and breaches. 

 

A PIPC official stated that the government authority will continue the investigation and take further action in line with the Personal Information Protection Act. 

 

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