Worldcoin project banned in Spain
Worldcoin project banned in Spain
The project of biometric identification for Worldcoin received a ban on activities in Spain for three months in connection with the violation of privacy.
This is reported by the Spanish data protection agency, AEPD.
AEPD demanded a complete cessation of the collection and processing of special categories of personal data. In addition, AEPD informs that the use of already collected data from Spanish citizens is also prohibited on the basis of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The prohibition is due to precautionary measures aimed at stopping data processing activities in order to protect the data from being transferred to third parties and to preserve the confidentiality of personal data.
The Spanish government has decided to introduce precautionary measures and strengthen the supervision of Wordcoin by analyzing its data collection methodology. The Data Protection Agency (AEPD) has asked Tools of Humanity, the company that developed the Worldcoin project, to suspend its activities for up to three months.
According to the AEPD, Worldcoin will also have to stop using the data already collected from Spanish citizens.
Previously, the agency had received many complaints about the project. The reasons for citizens' dissatisfaction were: the collection of data from minors, insufficient information about the project, and the inability to withdraw consent for data collection.
The AEPD explained that the European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides for the use of biometric data with special protection, given its sensitivity. For this reason, Worldcoin's data collection is subject to a prohibition in "exceptional circumstances" to prevent its transfer to third parties and avoid harm.
Worldcoin spokesman Yannick Preivisch commented that the company tried to contact the AEPD several months ago but was unsuccessful. "We are grateful to have had the opportunity to help them better understand the important facts about this important and legitimate technology."
Worldcoin verifies the identity of citizens using an Orb device that can read information from the iris of the eye. Users who pass verification are rewarded with WLD tokens.
It should be noted that the Worldcoin project has encountered opposition from the governments of various countries. For example, South Korea is investigating whether Worldcoin has violated local privacy laws. The South Korean privacy watchdog has announced possible sanctions if these violations are confirmed.
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