Just months after expanding its controversial Orb biometric identification system to India, Brazil, and France, cryptocurrency startup Worldcoin has halted the technology’s rollout across those markets indefinitely.
Worldcoin frames the Orb, a roughly 5-pound chrome sphere which scans users’ irises to verify their identity, as an effort to “distinguish humans from AI online” and enable secure global commerce. After launching in North America and parts of Europe and Asia earlier this year, India emerged as an important proving ground for the Orb thanks to the nation’s widespread adoption of the similar Aadhaar biometric ID system.
However, regulatory ambiguity has plagued rollout efforts. Local Worldcoin staff in India expressed surprise when operations ceased abruptly last month, scrapping plans to expand Orb access points nationwide. The sudden reversal follows months of rumors that Worldcoin lacked proper clearances to capture and process Indian citizens’ sensitive biometric data.
Worldcoin maintains its system offers users control over their personal information and adheres to strict data privacy protocols. But the ability to link individuals’ offline and online lives via iris scans alarms privacy advocates worldwide, not just in India.
Without directly acknowledging regulatory roadblocks, Worldcoin spokespeople cited concluding the Orb’s “multi-city tour” when explaining its disappearance from India, Brazil, and France. They classify the shutdown as “temporarily scaling back” services while working to meet local requirements.
Yet abandonment of key expansion targets casts doubt on the long-term viability of Worldcoin’s goals. Asidb¬ey promises of revolutionizing digital identity, enabling borderless commerce, and distributing free cryptocurrency, Worldcoin appears focused more on amassing a vast, globe-spanning database of people’s biometrics.
What little utility Worldcoin’s token provides seems incidental next to the company’s true mission - centralized control over users’ most personal details. And the willingness to quickly flee jurisdictions that don’t rubber stamp that objective makes recent marketing around decentralization and empowerment ring hollow.
Maybe one day, Worldcoin will find a regulatory sweet spot that satisfies its desire to surveil while adequately protecting people’s rights. But for now, the places where Worldcoin isn’t welcome serve as bastions defending individual liberty against the utopian-tinged overreach of Silicon Valley technocrats.
Key Takeaways:
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Worldcoin rapidly expanded biometric Orb system to India, Brazil, and France before suddenly halting operations last month
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Persistent rumors suggest lack of regulatory clearance around capturing citizens’ iris scans prompted shutdown
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Company claims concluding “multi-city tour” and working with partners on compliance, but provides no timeline for potential return
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Swift abandonment of key targets undercuts promises of revolutionizing digital identity and global commerce
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Despite claims around user control, Worldcoin fixated on amassing database of people’s biometrics regardless of jurisdiction
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Nations wary of such surveillance may better defend rights and privacy compared to those hastily approving it.