The Argentine Agency for Access to Public Information (AAIP) has launched an investigation into the privacy practices of the cryptocurrency project Worldcoin.
Argentina’s Information Agency intends to examine Worldcoin’s handling of customers’ data
The Argentine Agency for Access to Public Information (AAIP) has launched an investigation into the privacy practices of the cryptocurrency project Worldcoin.
The AAIP intends to examine Worldcoin’s handling of customers’ data, including data collecting, storage and usage, to ensure compliance with security and privacy regulations.
The Worldcoin project incentivizes people to authenticate their identity through scanning their retina at various sites throughout the provinces of Buenos Aires and other cities, sparking privacy concerns.
The AAIP emphasized citizens' right to their personal data:
“Citizens have the right, whenever personal data is provided, to have clear and accessible information in relation to the assignment, use and purpose for which the data is collected and processed, especially with regard to sensitive data, such as biometric data.”
More than 2 million accounts registered for Worldcoin prior to the release of its token. After its public token launch, Worldcoin recently announced a large increase in signups and verifications, with over 100% growth in the week that followed.
The project was suspended in Kenya due to operational issues following the recruitment of a sizable number of participants. In addition, it was alleged that Kenyan authorities searched a Worldcoin facility and seized tools that might have included user information.
Furthermore, both the French National Commission on Informatics and Liberty and Germany's Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision opened inquiries into the project's data collection practices. The UK’s Information Commissions Office has also made inquiries into the project.