Worldcoin Ceases Offline Orb Verification in India, Brazil, and France Amid Controversies
Summary:
Worldcoin has discontinued its offline orb verification tool in India, Brazil, and France. The system, dubbed 'Orb', uses retina scans to confirm identities, particularly in areas where traditional IDs are scarce. Recently, Worldcoin pivoted to offering rewards in its own currency, WLD, rather than USDC. The company had stopped its operations in India months ago, although large queues were still visible in the country. The registration process, which includes collecting personal data, has been the subject of numerous public controversies and regulatory investigations.
Worldcoin has ceased availing its offline orb verification system in three regions; India, France, and Brazil, according to a Dec. 21 statement on Moneycontrol. The Orb, a five-pound, multi-coloured helmet that utilises retina-scanning technology to confirm identities, was originally created by Worldcoin as a platform to register individuals in areas where traditional IDs are less accessible. To promote the offline process, Worldcoin granted USDC rewards to local Orb handlers. However, as of November, the rewards have been dispensed in the form of Worldcoin's own digital coin, WLD. It's revealed by Moneycontrol that Worldcoin quietly halted the orb verification process in India months ago, in spite of long lines forming for Orb service in certain areas. Nevertheless, Tools for Humanity, the organization supervising Worldcoin, stated that the Orb project was always intended to be a "limited-time access" initiative in the aforementioned countries. Worldcoin has been reached out to by Cointelegraph for further clarification but has yet to respond.
The signup process, which requires the collection of private details like eye scans, has landed Worldcoin in a number of public disputes. Critics often pose that the venture, pioneered by Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, is morally dubious and has the potential to become a "dystopian nightmare." Skepticism among regulators has been high. In 2022, German finance regulators initiated an investigation into Worldcoin, with the UK's data regulatory body also proposing investigations shortly after the venture was started. Kenya has directly prohibited Worldcoin's operations within its territory. In August, security behemoth CertiK pointed to a flaw in the approval methodology for Orb handlers that might have allowed a hacker to circumvent the verification process and operate an Orb without necessary procedures or identification.
Published At
12/21/2023 1:25:13 PM
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