Worldcoin Faces Obstacle As Hong Kong Halts Biometric Scans
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The Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) in Hong Kong has finished its review of the Worldcoin project. The findings revealed that Worldcoin’s operations in Hong Kong breached the Personal Data Privacy Ordinance (PDPO) rules.
Ada Chung Lai-ling, the Privacy Commissioner, handed a regulatory order to Worldcoin. She ordered an immediate suspension of all activities related to the collection and scanning of facial and iris images with iris scanning devices.
The Project’s Privacy Policy Was Not Available In Chinese
The PCPD initiated its inquiry early this year to evaluate if Worldcoin’s Identification verification processes presented major privacy risks and adhered to the PDPO’s regulations. The review included ten secret inspections at six Worldcoin activity sites between December 2023 and January 2024.
The investigation discovered that collecting facial pictures was not needed in ensuring the participants are human. The operators of the Iris scanning tool could complete this authentication at the operation sites, thereby removing the need for additional facial image scanning or collection.
The PCPD also condemned Worldcoin for not providing participants with enough information to make knowledgeable choices and give sincere consent. The Project’s privacy policy was not provided in the Chinese language. Due to this, non-English speaking individuals could not understand the project’s, terms and conditions, practices, and policies.
Worldcoin’s Operation Sets To Create A Secure Environment
The PCPD determined that Worldcoin’s storage of sensitive biometric data for up to 10 years just for AI model training was not justified. The project had scanned the faces and eyes of 8,302 people while operating in Hong Kong.
The PCPD decided that collecting face and eye images was illegal and unfair, breaking the data protection rules of the PDPO.
Worldcoin started operations in 2021 with over two million users worldwide. The platform is having issues with privacy rules. Its services were stopped in Kenya while its iris scans were halted in India.
In Portugal, the CNPD ordered a 90-day stop in the collection of biometric data because of data protection worries. At the same time, Spain’s AEPD took action against Tools for Humanity Corporation, which is a part of the Worldcoin project. According to the Spanish regulator, there were complaints about not providing enough information and collecting data from minors.
The Privacy Commissioner works to protect people’s privacy. The office has different sections including Legal Division, Compliance & Enquiries Division, Criminal Investigation Division, and Complaints Division. It also comprises of Corporate Support Division, Corporate Communications Division, and Global Affairs & Research Division. It can investigate and enforce rules and gives advice to organizations and the public about their privacy rights.
