South Korean authorities are set to probe Sam Altman’s Worldcoin following complaints about the unorthodox methods the iris-scanning firm uses to collect its data.
According to South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission, its investigation, which began on February 29, will establish if Worldcoin has breached the Personal Information Protection Act. The authority said “if violations are confirmed,” it will “take action in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.”
The press release, translated via Google, said the South Korea Worldcoin investigation will look into “the overall collection and processing of sensitive information and overseas transfer of personal information.” It also noted that Worldcoin and ‘affiliates’ are reportedly collecting facial and iris data in 10 locations across South Korea.
Worldcoin’s orb revamp hopes to be less Black Mirror, more Apple
Read more: Worldcoin can damage economy and amplify fraud, Kenya MPs hear
Last year, Kenya launched its own probe into Worldcoin, voicing concerns that the company could impact the country’s monetary policy, cybersecurity, and increase fraud and scams. The UK, France, and Germany also probed Worldcoin last year.
Worldcoin tried to shake off its dystopian image when it announced plans to redesign its iris-scanning orb to look “much more friendly,” and similar to “an Apple product.”
The price of Worldcoin’s WLD token, however, hasn’t been negatively impacted. Indeed, it’s risen roughly 218% since February, jumping from $2.20 to $7 today.
