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Worldcoin just officially launched. Here’s why it’s already being investigated.

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Summary

Worldcoin is a project that is backed by some of tech's biggest stars, which aims to use cryptocurrency to distribute money across the world and create a global identity system called “World ID”. However, four countries have launched investigations into the project due to concerns with its privacy practices. An investigation from The Technocrat found that the company was collecting more personal data than it acknowledged and failing to obtain meaningful informed consent. The company has changed some of its data collection and privacy practices, but the legality of its biometric data collection is still in question. Furthermore, the company has not yet clarified whether it still uses the biometric data it collects to train its artificial intelligence models.

Q&As

What is Worldcoin and what are its promises?
Worldcoin is a project that claims to use cryptocurrency to distribute money across the world, with a bigger ambition to create a global identity system called “World ID” that relies on individuals’ unique biometric data to prove that they are humans. It promises to deliver a form of universal basic income through technology to make the world a better and more equitable place, while offering a way to verify your humanity in a digital future filled with nonhuman intelligence.

What are the investigations into Worldcoin due to?
The investigations into Worldcoin are due to concerns with its privacy practices.

What has Worldcoin done differently since its investigation?
Since its investigation, Worldcoin has claimed to have changed many of its data collection and privacy practices, though there are reasons to be skeptical. The company has not specified exactly how it’s done this, beyond saying it has stopped some of the most exploitative and deceptive recruitment tactics.

What is the core objective of the Worldcoin project?
The core objective of the Worldcoin project is to perfect its “proof of personhood” methodology, which requires a lot of data to train AI models.

What is the potential danger of Worldcoin's proof-of-personhood system?
The potential danger of Worldcoin's proof-of-personhood system is that if it becomes widely adopted, it could be quite lucrative for its investors, particularly during an AI gold rush like the one we’re seeing now. Additionally, if the system is used more broadly without key questions being answered, it could be problematic for individuals' privacy.

AI Comments

👍 This is an incredibly informative article about Worldcoin and its implications. It's great to see a thorough investigation into the company's data collection and privacy practices.

👎 This article is quite long and dense, making it difficult to understand. It also raises a lot of concerns about the Worldcoin project and its privacy practices, which could be off-putting to potential users.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about Worldcoin, a project claiming to use cryptocurrency to distribute money across the world, and the implications of its privacy practices. It's backed by big tech celebrities, but four countries are already investigating it.

Friend: Wow, that's concerning. What are some of the implications?

Me: Well, Worldcoin has a lot of lofty goals, around creating a global identity system and offering a way to verify your humanity, but its data collection and privacy practices are being called into question. There are concerns that it's collecting sensitive biometric data from vulnerable people in exchange for cash, and that it's using test users' anonymized data to train AI models without their consent. On top of that, it's allowing other companies and governments to deploy its identity system, potentially creating a massive privacy nightmare.

Action items

Research the GDPR and other laws and regulations governing the processing of personal data in the countries where Worldcoin is available.
Follow the investigations into Worldcoin by the French, German, UK, and Kenyan governments to stay up to date on the legality of Worldcoin's biometric data collection.
Read the investigation by Eileen Guo and Adi Renaldi to better understand how the company is handling sensitive personal data and how its idealistic rhetoric compares with the realities on the ground.

Technical terms

Cryptocurrency: A digital or virtual currency that is secured by cryptography, which makes it nearly impossible to counterfeit or double-spend.
Biometric Data: Data that is used to identify and authenticate a person based on their physical or behavioral characteristics, such as fingerprints, facial recognition, or voice recognition.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): A regulation in the European Union that sets out the rules for the collection and processing of personal data of individuals within the EU.
Proof of Personhood: A system that uses biometric data to verify that a person is a human.
AI: Artificial Intelligence, a computer system that can learn and make decisions on its own.
Programmatic Ads: Automated online advertising that uses algorithms to target ads to specific audiences.