On March 6, the Spanish Agency for the Protection of Data (AEPD) issued a crucial order with implications for Sam Altman Worldcoin. Effective for three months, the directive explicitly bans Worldcoin’s operations and mandates a cessation of data collection and processing within Spain.

What is Worldcoin?

Worldcoin is a global identity and financial network developed by Tools for Humanity, led by Sam Altman, the co-founder, and CEO of OpenAI. The platform aims to create a collectively owned system for the majority of humanity, with a vision to support an AI-funded universal basic income. It emphasizes privacy and safety through technologies like World ID, designed to assert humanness in the age of artificial intelligence.

Worldcoin, a project developed by Tools for Humanity and guided by the leadership of Sam Altman, OpenAI’s co-founder and CEO, is designed to introduce a globally inclusive identity and financial network. This initiative aligns with the broader vision of fostering interconnectedness on a global scale.

Jannick Preiwisch, Worldcoin’s Data Protection Officer, has been vocal in asserting the commitment of their technology to prioritize privacy and safety. In the evolving landscape of digital privacy debates, such assurances hold particular significance.

AEPD probes Worldcoin.

Sam Altman Worldcoin

Sam Altman’s company, Tools for Humanity, is the creative force behind Worldcoin, envisioning a global identity and financial network collectively owned by the majority of people. Their ambitious goal extends to supporting an AI-funded universal basic income.

However, the Spanish Agency for the Protection of Data (AEPD) is currently investigating Sam Altman Worldcoin based on complaints, particularly regarding alleged data collection from minors and reported difficulties for users in Spain withdrawing consent. In response, the AEPD has directed Worldcoin to halt the collection of specific personal data and block any already collected.

The complaints highlight issues such as inadequate information disclosure, concerns about data collection from minors, and reported obstacles in user consent withdrawal. This regulatory scrutiny illuminates the intricate intersection of technological innovation, user privacy, and the imperative for robust regulatory oversight in the ever-evolving digital services landscape.

Worldcoin Reacts

Sam Altman Worldcoin

In an interview with Cointelegraph, , the Data Protection Officer at Worldcoin, conveyed, “The creation of World ID aims to provide individuals with access, privacy, and protection online. It represents the most privacy-preserving and secure solution for asserting humanness in the era of AI. We remain open to engaging with regulators, considering their feedback, and addressing any queries they may have.”

Preiwisch further elaborated, stating, “For several months, we have actively collaborated with the Bavarian data protection authority (BayLDA), which serves as the primary supervisory authority under the GDPR for both Worldcoin Foundation and Tools for Humanity.

The actions taken by the Spanish data protection authority (AEPD) today are, in our view, circumventing EU law, as they are confined to Spain and not reflective of the broader EU context. Moreover, the AEPD is disseminating inaccurate and misleading claims about our technology on a global scale.”

This incident comes just a month after the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) in Hong Kong also initiated an investigation into Worldcoin.