The Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) declared on Wednesday that Worldcoin’s iris scanning and identification practices violate Hong Kong’s data protection laws.
“The Privacy Commissioner has served an enforcement notice on Worldcoin Foundation, directing it to cease all operations of the Worldcoin project in Hong Kong in scanning and collecting iris and face images of members of the public using iris scanning devices,” PCPD said in its statement.
CoinGecko statistics shows that Worldcoin’s token WLD has decreased 1.2% in the last 24 hours to $5.01. In response to privacy concerns, the commission, an independent statutory authority, began looking into the iris biometric cryptocurrency initiative in December. Between December 2023 and January 2024, it conducted ten visits to the six locations that were essential to the project’s operation.
“Worldcoin confirmed that there were 8,302 individuals with their faces and irises scanned for verification during its operation in Hong Kong,” the statement said.
“Worldcoin confirmed that there were 8,302 individuals with their faces and irises scanned for verification during its operation in Hong Kong,” the statement said.
Amidst privacy concerns, the initiative in Kenya has also been put on hold. It has been scrutinized by politicians worldwide.