Quick Take:
•Worldcoin ordered to cease operations in Hong Kong for mishandling biometric data.
•Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog clamps down on unnecessary iris and facial scans.
Yello ParadiseSquad! In a plot twist that might have privacy enthusiasts nodding in approval, Worldcoin has been handed a stop order by Hong Kong’s Privacy Commissioner. The project’s penchant for collecting the iris and facial scans of unsuspecting participants has finally caught the eye of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD), leading to a decisive shutdown of its operations in the city.
A Close-Up on the Crackdown
Privacy Commissioner Ada Chung Lai-ling delivered a rather frosty end to Worldcoin’s biometric bonanza. After an investigation sparked by concerns of high-tech overreach, it turns out Worldcoin’s methods were more sci-fi than secure. The company was found scanning the public’s irises and faces without proper justification, essentially turning parts of Hong Kong into a scene from a dystopian novel.
Undercover Operations Reveal All
The PCPD wasn’t messing around, they went full detective mode with 10 undercover visits to Worldcoin’s lairs (read: six premises) between December 2023 and January 2024. Their findings? The facial scans were an unnecessary encore to the iris scans already verifying the “humanness” of participants. It seems Worldcoin’s tech enthusiasm got the better of their privacy manners.
Lost in Translation
Adding to the drama, Worldcoin apparently missed the memo on local language requirements. Their privacy notice wasn’t available in Chinese, leaving non-English speakers to navigate the crypto waters without a map. According to Commissioner Chung, the operators at these scanning stations were also less than helpful, often skipping crucial explanations about what on Earth (or in crypto space) was actually happening with people’s data.
The Verdict
The PCPD’s final ruling was clear: collecting biometric data for a decade just to train your AI is a no-go. The practice was deemed unfair, unlawful, and a bit too Orwellian for comfort, violating several data protection principles.
Global Side-Eye
This isn’t Worldcoin’s first dance with regulator disapproval. The project has already faced pushbacks in places like Kenya and India, where privacy alarms have led to suspensions and pauses. As of now, over 8,302 individuals in Hong Kong have had their biometric data swept up in Worldcoin’s ambitious, albeit now grounded, project.
Wrap-Up
As Worldcoin packs up its iris scanners in Hong Kong, the crypto world watches on, perhaps a tad wiser about the delicate balance between innovation and individual rights. It’s a reminder that in the rush towards the future, it pays to remember the basics, like asking permission and speaking the local tongue.
