In recent news, Portugal’s data regulator CNPD has issued a 90-day order for Worldcoin to cease all activities. This comes after a similar order was received in Spain by the AI project, co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, which collects biometric data.
According to a report by Reuters, concerns over high risk to collected data, which currently stands at over 300,000 people in Portugal, have led to this crackdown. The regulator also cited complaints of unauthorized data collection from minors and insufficient information provided to project participants, with no option to withdraw consent.
This is not the first time Worldcoin has faced regulatory hurdles, as their operations have been suspended in the UK, France, and Kenya. Despite these setbacks, the price of their native cryptocurrency, WLD, has seen a 12% increase in the past week, reaching a high of $9.43 as Bitcoin rises above $71,000.
The recent order from Portugal’s CNPD is just one example of increasing concerns over data privacy and protection in the use of biometric data. It serves as a reminder for companies to prioritize transparency and consent in their data collection practices.
