South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission has launched an investigation into Worldcoin in response to complaints regarding the project’s collection of personal data, specifically its practice of scanning people’s iris in return for bitcoin.
The commission said in a news release on Monday that it will investigate Worldcoin’s operations related to the acquisition, management, and potential international movement of sensitive personal data.
If any violations of local privacy legislation are discovered, the commission has pledged to take immediate measures against the enterprise. Furthermore, the commission revealed that as of Monday, Worldcoin had been collecting data on people’s faces and irises in ten sites across South Korea.
Notably, the privacy regulator punished OpenAI 3.6 million Korean won ($2,703) last year for leaking personal information belonging to 687 South Korean residents via ChatGPT.
Worldcoin, a cryptocurrencycurrency initiative focused on identity, uses an Orb device for iris scanning to authenticate users. Users who register with the protocol are rewarded with WLD tokens.
Concerns have been expressed in several regions, including Hong Kong, about Worldcoin’s unusual registration procedure.
