Worldcoin Ordered to Stop Operations in Spain

The government of Spain is strengthening its oversight of Wordcoin and its data-collecting practices. The AEPD, Spain’s data agency, issued a precautionary measure against Tools of Humanity, the company behind Worldcoin, asking it to stop its operations for up to three months.

According to the AEPD’s report, Worldcoin will also be required to cease using the already collected data from Spanish citizens. The measure comes after the agency received numerous complaints linked to the project, which included “insufficient information, the collection of data from minors, and the fact that consent cannot be withdrawn,” among other infringements.

The agency reminded that, under the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the processing of biometric data must be treated with special protections, given its sensitive nature. It justified this measure as part of an “exceptional circumstance” to stop this data’s collection, prevent its transfer to third parties, and safeguard the data protection fundamental rights, avoiding “irreparable damage.”

Reuters reported that Jannick Preiwisch, Worldcoin’s data protection officer, stated that the company had tried to contact the AEPD months ago without success. He stated:

We are grateful to now have the opportunity to help them better understand the important facts regarding this essential and lawful technology.

Worldcoin allows users to prove their “humanness” using the Orb, a device that scans people’s irises. Registered users receive a bonus in the token of the projects, WLD. However, the project has been reaping increased opposition from several governments who criticize its data collection and processing practices.

Recently, the South Korean government launched an investigation to determine if Worldcoin had violated the local data protection rules. South Korea’s data protection institution, the Personal Information Protection Commission, announced sanctions in case these violations were corroborated.

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