French National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL) has started investigation research on the Worldcoin (WLD), a digital identification platform led by co-founder of ChatGPT, Sam Altman. The investigation on Worldcoin started because of the unethical means of biometric data acquisition.
The ambitious goal of Worldcoin is to build a digital identity infrastructure that uses biometric information, primarily iris scans, to verify and empower people.
Worldcoin has established sign-up locations all across the world where anyone can have their faces scanned by a glowing, sphere-shaped “orb.”
People can have their faces scanned as they go close to the orb to collect biometric information, particularly for iris identification. The creation of digital IDs based on this biometric data gives customers access to free bitcoin and services.
Although some people may find Worldcoin’s strategy to be attractive, it creates serious privacy and ethical issues.
The French privacy authority CNIL said in a Reuters article that the method “appears questionable, as do the requirements for keeping biometric data.”
According to CNIL, it started looking into the matter and later learned that the German state body for the Bavarian region has control over it. Since then, the investigation has been led by the Bavarian authorities with assistance from CNIL.
While the investigations are underway, Worldcoin has not yet responded to demands for comment from the media.
The regulators warning is in line with more general worries about the dangers of managing biometric data improperly. This week, the UK’s data authority declared that it will look into Worldcoin once it launched.
Vitalik Buterin, another co-founder of Ethereum, has also raised issues with potential system misuse and privacy concerns.
The ongoing investigation into Worldcoin’s procedures for collecting biometric data emphasises the value of data and privacy protection in the digital age.
Worldcoin needs to show that it is committed to protecting user privacy and data security if it wants to earn people’s trust and trustworthiness.
The biometric data gathered by the orb will need to be protected, which calls for the implementation of robust encryption techniques, frequent security audits and data security procedures.
Additionally, Worldcoin needs to set up specific guidelines for data deletion and retention in order to reduce the hazards connected with long-term data storage.
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