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The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) slapped a fine of 1.1 billion Korean won ($850,000) on both organizations.
This is for illegally gathering iris scans from nearly 30,000 people in the country. Let’s explore more about this news for Worldcoin.
Worldcoin Fined for Breaking Privacy Laws
The trouble started when local complaints and media reports suggested that Worldcoin was offering cryptocurrency in exchange for users’ iris data without getting proper consent. Worldcoin, which manages the World App cryptocurrency wallet, had people’s irises scanned, but the commission found that users weren’t given clear information about how their data would be used or how long it would be kept.
On top of that, they sent the data overseas without informing people about which countries received their information or who to contact. Initially, the consent forms were only in English, making it tough for many Korean users to fully understand what they were agreeing to until a Korean version was released months later.
South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has fined #Worldcoin and its development company, Tools For Humanity (TFH), 1.1 billion won ($830,000) over personal data mishandling. #Worldcoin #DataPrivacy https://t.co/jHRmh2g6yU
— The Tech Report (@thetechreport) September 30, 2024
In its defense, Worldcoin claimed that it used the iris data not to identify people but simply to prevent duplicate registrations. They argued that the data was anonymous and that no one could link it back to any individual. However, the commission disagreed, saying that iris data is unique to each person, and using it this way is still a violation of privacy laws.
Worldcoin’s iris scanning practices have sparked concern not just in South Korea but also in countries like India, Hong Kong, and Germany, all of which are keeping a close eye on the project. Singapore has launched an investigation into people offering to buy and sell Worldcoin-related services. Worldcoin claims that these individuals do not officially connect to the project.
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Nermeen Nabil Khear