Worldcoin will allow you to delete biometric data

Sam Altman's Worldcoin project has added new features to improve the security of personal data. In particular, users now have the opportunity to revoke World ID verification.

Now everyone has even more choice & control over their data 🫡https://t.co/zOD5JdbmKA

— Worldcoin (@worldcoin) April 9, 2024

As part of the update, the developers implemented:

• the ability to delete retinal scans;
• personal age verification – this ensures that the Worldcoin user is over 18 years of age.

To protect against fraud, biometric removal requires a six-month cooling-off period. After this, the person’s World ID will become invalid and cannot be restored.

Age verification is carried out in places where it is possible to scan the retina of the eye. Project representatives emphasized that the procedure “will not involve storing, recording or transmitting any information.”

The project's main product, the World ID protocol, is based on zero-knowledge proofs. It is a tool that allows people to authenticate themselves using biometrics or a phone number.

In February, the team announced it had reached 1 million daily active users on the World App.

However, the launch of Worldcoin raised questions about data protection among regulators in many countries. In particular, the UK, France, Germany, Argentina and Kenya became interested in the project’s activities. On March 21, the latter’s authorities rejected the US government’s request to reverse the decision to suspend the project in the jurisdiction.

Earlier, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Hong Kong reported suspicions against the project due to a possible violation of information storage regulations.

The Spanish regulator demanded that the company immediately stop collecting personal data in the country. In response, its representatives statedthat the project operates “legally in all places where it is available” and fully complies with the requirements for the collection and transfer of information.