Brazil's data protection authority issues order banning the distribution of cryptocurrency against World, a cryptocurrency project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is also involved in many other companies, including co-founder of Tools for Humanity, a technology company developing a cryptocurrency project. The Brazilian data protection authority has issued an order banning Tools for Humanity from distributing cryptocurrency through iris scans in the country.
Tools for Humanity: Brazil bans Sam Altman's tech firm Tools for Humanity from paying for iris scans - The Economic Times
Brazil Bans Sam Altman's Tech Firm After Half a Million People Sell Their Iris Scans - Gizchina.com
https://www.gizchina.com/2025/01/25/brazil-iris-scan-crypto-ban/
The project ' World ', which Tools for Humanity launched in July 2023, allows users to receive the virtual currency 'Worldcoin (WLD)' by downloading the wallet app 'World App' and scanning their iris using the biometric authentication device 'Orb'. Tools for Humanity explains that the purpose of the iris scan is 'to generate a hash and grant virtual currency to users using zero-knowledge proof .'
OpenAI's Sam Altman's virtual currency 'Worldcoin' officially launched - GIGAZINE
World's vision is to 'redistribute the wealth generated by AI to the people through the WLD token, making the benefits of AI accessible to everyone,' and Orbs have been set up in Tokyo and Osaka in Japan.
gm Tokyo pic.twitter.com/HHGNboYUNr
— World (@worldcoin) July 24, 2023
The World project has also become popular in Brazil, where as of the time of writing, about 500,000 people have scanned their irises to obtain WLD. However, the Brazilian data protection authority 'National Data Protection Authority (ANPD)' has ordered Tools for Humanity to stop 'delivering virtual currency to users as a reward for iris scanning' from January 25, 2025.
ANPD criticized, 'Offering monetary compensation for iris scanning could influence individuals' decisions about providing biometric data and hinder their free decision-making. ' ANPD also called for websites to clearly state who is responsible for processing the collected user iris data.
'All of our services comply with Brazilian laws and regulations. Inaccurate information on social media and elsewhere has provided ANPD with false information about us,' Tools for Humanity said. 'We are in contact with ANPD to allow our users in Brazil to become part of the World network.'
Regarding Tools for Humanity and World, the Spanish Data Protection Authority ordered the suspension of personal data collection and processing in the World project in March 2024. At that time, World stated that 'World ID, which identifies individuals through iris scanning, is a mechanism that allows millions of users to privately and securely prove their humanity online,' emphasizing that there are no privacy concerns.
Spain suspends iris authentication cryptocurrency 'Worldcoin' launched by Sam Altman - GIGAZINE
in Web Service, Posted by log1r_ut