Worldcoin Operations Violate Privacy and Should Cease, Hong Kong Regulator Says

As a seasoned crypto investor with a strong commitment to privacy and data security, I was dismayed to learn about the latest developments regarding Worldcoin. The revelation that the project violated Hong Kong’s data protection principles is a major red flag for me.

According to the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) in Hong Kong, Worldcoin’s use of iris scanning and identification procedures violates local data protection regulations.

The Privacy Commissioner for Protection of Data (PCPD) has issued a stop-operating order to Worldcoin Foundation regarding their Worldcoin project in Hong Kong. This instruction requires Worldcoin Foundation to halt all activities involving the use of iris and facial recognition devices to scan and collect images of the public’s irises and faces. (PCPD’s statement)

Worldcoin’s token WLD has dropped 1.2% over 24 hours to $5.01, according to CoinGecko data.

As an analyst, I’d rephrase it as follows: In my role as an investigator for the independent statutory body, the commission, I initiated an investigation into the iris biometric cryptocurrency project in December due to privacy-related concerns. During this probe, which spanned from late December 2023 through January 2024, I conducted ten site visits to the six locations directly involved in the project’s operations.

During its time in Hong Kong, Worldcoin identified and recorded the facial features and iris details of a total of 8,302 people for authentication purposes.

The globally criticized project has been put on hold in Kenya due to privacy-related issues.