Worldcoin Project Potentially Violating Privacy, Scan User's Eyes For Digital Identity And Free Coins

Illustration of the Worldcoin logo. (photo: twitter @worldcoin)

JAKARTA - People around the world are scanning their eyes in exchange for digital identities in exchange for free cryptocurrencies. This is done regardless of the concerns of privacy activists and data regulators.

The project was founded by Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT developer OpenAI, and is known as the Worldcoin Project. They aim to create a new "identity and finance network" and that their digital ID will allow users to prove online that they are humans, not bots.

The project was launched on Monday, July 24 with eyeball scans taking place in several countries including the United Kingdom, Japan, and India.

At a crypto conference in Tokyo, many people queued in front of a glossy silver ball surrounded by banners that read "Orbs have arrived." Potential users stand in line to scan their eyes with the device, before waiting to get 25 free Worldcoin tokens that the company claims can be claimed by verified users.

Users interviewed by Reuters said they were considering concerns about data collection as well as their curiosity about the project. The project said it had published IDs for more than two million people in 120 countries, mostly during the trial period in the last two years.

"There is a risk when your eye data is collected by a company, but I like to follow the latest crypto project," said 33-year-old Sasaki. "I'm a bit scared, but now I've done it and can't change that."

"This Worldcoin data collection is a potential privacy nightmare," said the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a US privacy activist.

Worldcoin did not respond to Reuters' question about its privacy policy which was sent via email on Tuesday, July 25. The company's website states that the project is "completely private" and that biometric data will be deleted or users can choose to store it in encrypted form.

In a joint workspace lobby in East London on Monday, two Worldcoin representatives showed several people how to download the app and scan it, then provided a free t-shirt and sticker that read "verified human".

A 34-year-old graphic designer named Christian said he participated because he felt "attrended". He followed the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and crypto, and bought crypto "only for fun".

"I think going forward, AI will be difficult to distinguish from humans, and I think this project might be able to solve that problem, and it's amazing," he said, reluctant to give his full name for privacy reasons.

Worldcoin tokens are trading around $2.30 on the world's largest exchange, Binance, last Tuesday. For many users, the promise of financial gain from crypto coins is enough for them to provide personal data.

Ali, a 22-year-old chemistry student who has invested in crypto using his loan, said that he calculated that 25 free tokens could be sold for 70 to 80 US dollars (Rp1.05 - 1.2 million) at current prices.

"I told my brother about this this morning. I told him, 'This is free money, do you want to come with me to get it?'" said Ali.

Neither Christian nor Ali said they had read Worldcoin's privacy policy, which states that data can be provided to subcontractors and can be accessed by governments and authorities, although it is also stated that measures have been taken to reduce risk and use encryption to prevent unauthorized access.

"This is quite worrying, but I think many companies have our current data," said Ali.

The Big Brother Watch privacy campaign group in the UK said there was a risk biometric data could be hacked or misused.

"The digital ID system increases state and company control over individual lives and rarely provides extraordinary benefits such as those often contributed by technocrats," said Madeleine Stone, senior advocacy officer.

The project also caught the attention of regulators, as UK data regulators notified Reuters that they were investigating the launch of Worldcoin in the UK.

At a mall in Bengaluru, India, the orb operator approached visitors on Tuesday and showed how to sign up. Most of those interviewed by Reuters said they were not worried about privacy.

One of the new users, Sujith, an 18-year-old trade student, said that he did not read the details of Worldcoin's privacy policy and did not really mind it. He said he invested in crypto with a small pocket of his family.

"While I was walking, they asked if I wanted to get some free coins. So (I thought) why not?" he said.