Worldcoin Faces Another Ban Order in Europe, Citing Concerns Over Risks to Children

Controversial crypto biometrics venture Worldcoin has encountered another setback in Europe, facing a temporary ban in Portugal from the country’s data protection authority. This follows a similar three-month stop-processing order issued by Spain’s DPA earlier this month, effectively booting Worldcoin out of almost all European markets.

Previously, Portugal and Spain were the only European countries where Worldcoin operated its proprietary eyeball-scanning orbs. However, the ban in Portugal was prompted by complaints, including allegations of scanning children’s eyeballs, mirroring concerns raised by Spain’s DPA.

The complaints also highlighted issues such as inadequate information provided to users about the processing of their sensitive biometric data and the inability for users to delete their data or revoke consent to Worldcoin’s processing. Moreover, Worldcoin’s use of blockchain technology to store tokens derived from scanned biometrics raises concerns as it perpetually retains personal data without providing recourse for individuals to erase their information, as mandated by EU data protection laws.

This legal conflict is compounded by other problematic aspects of Worldcoin’s approach, including the quasi-financial incentive offered to encourage scanning, the sensitivity of the biometric data involved, and the overarching goal of creating an identity layer for “humanness.”

Worldcoin, backed by Sam Altman of OpenAI, faces increasing scrutiny, particularly as it intersects with broader concerns about the proliferation of generative AI tools blurring the lines between human and artificial activity online.

The Portuguese data protection authority, CNPD, took action following “dozens” of complaints received last month, underscoring the growing concerns surrounding Worldcoin’s operations in Europe.