Worldcoin stops iris scanning in India, Brazil, France: report
Worldcoin has shut down its offline Orbit verification functionality for users in three markets: India, Brazil and France, according to a report published by Moneycontrol on December 21.
A five-pound chromatic helmet that scans an individual's eyeballs to verify their identity, the Orb was conceived by WorldCoin as a tool for boarding residents of regions where traditional identification isn't always available.
The company also encouraged the offline onboarding process by offering USDC rewards to local Orb operators. As of November, WorldCoin began paying rewards through its native WLD.
According to Moneycontrol, WorldCoin quietly stopped Orbin's verification process in India 3-4 months ago. However, Tools for Humanity, the foundation that oversees WorldCoin, explained that from the start, Orb was a “limited-time access” initiative in India, France and Brazil.
Cointelegraph has contacted Worldcoin for further details but has not yet received a response.
Related: Worldcoin Controversy Explained in Latest Cointelegraph Report
The onboarding process, which involves the collection of personal data such as iris scans, has drawn WorldCoin into several public controversies. Critics have repeatedly pointed out that the project, started by OpenAI founder Sam Altman, is ethically questionable and contains the makings of a “dystopian nightmare.”
Regulators have also become skeptical. German financial authorities They launched an investigation into 2022 WorldCoin, and the UK's data watchdog threatened investigations in the days after the project launched. Kenya has banned WorldCoin from operating in the country.
In August, security platform CertiK reported a vulnerability in the vetting process for Orb operators that could have allowed an attacker to bypass the authentication process and allow Orb to operate without being interviewed or having proper identification.
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