The cryptocurrency project Worldcoin, spearheaded by Sam Altman, has faced another setback as Spain takes steps to block the venture. The Spanish data protection regulator, AEPD, has ordered Worldcoin to immediately halt the collection of personal information within the country and cease using the data it has already gathered.
Concerns Over Worldcoin Eyeball-Scanning Data Collection
According to a Financial Times report, the AEPD expressed concerns about the project’s use of an eyeball-scanning “orb” to collect customers’ data. The regulator is expected to announce a “precautionary measure” on Wednesday, and Worldcoin has been given 72 hours to demonstrate compliance with the order.
Worldcoin, co-founded by Altman in 2019, has offered its cryptocurrency tokens to individuals worldwide in exchange for consent to scan their eyes with an orb. The scans serve as a means of identification, aiming to establish a reliable mechanism to distinguish between humans and machines as artificial intelligence advances.
However, the Spanish regulator’s action adds to a series of setbacks faced by Altman and his co-founders, Max Novendstern and Alex Blania, who have encountered resistance in various countries.
Last year, Worldcoin faced opposition from authorities in Kenya, resulting in an order to cease operations. Additionally, the project refrained from launching its crypto tokens in the United States due to the country’s stringent regulations on digital assets.
The report further notes that major global markets such as China and India have also not made the Worldcoin token available. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office had also expressed intentions to investigate Worldcoin.
Consumer Complaints In Spain
While some jurisdictions have questioned the viability of Worldcoin’s cryptocurrency token, Spain’s recent action specifically targets the project’s core objective of establishing a method to verify customers’ “personhood.” Altman acknowledged the possibility of Worldcoin existing without its in-house cryptocurrency, as the start-up faces growing scrutiny.
Worldcoin has reportedly registered approximately 4 million users, and investments totaling around $250 million have come from venture capital firms such as Andreessen Horowitz and Khosla Ventures and prominent individuals like Reid Hoffman and Sam Bankman-Fried.
The project gained media attention and sparked consumer complaints in Spain,…
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