Privacy Concerns Prompt Hong Kong Authorities to Probe Worldcoin

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) launches an investigation into Worldcoin's identity verification operations in Hong Kong, citing potential threats to personal data privacy.

Hong Kong's Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) has initiated an inquiry into the local operations of the identity verification project Worldcoin, expressing apprehensions about "serious risks to personal data privacy."

In an announcement on January 31, the PCPD revealed that it had executed warrants and entered six premises under the control of Worldcoin in Hong Kong as part of the ongoing investigation. The commission has requested documentation and information while cautioning Hong Kong residents to contemplate the potential uses of their biometric data, given that Worldcoin employs iris-scanning orbs for identity verification.

Expressing concerns, the PCPD stated, "The PCPD is concerned that the operation of Worldcoin in Hong Kong involves serious risks to personal data privacy, and believes that the collection and processing of sensitive personal data by the relevant organisation may be in contravention of the requirements of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance."

According to PCPD guidelines, any personal data controlled by Worldcoin "must be collected for a lawful purpose" related to the project's function or activity. The commission emphasized that the information obtained from users' irises was deemed "sensitive."

Worldcoin made its debut in 2021, attracting over 2 million sign-ups before its official launch in July 2023. The project, which deploys iris scans for user identity verification, has garnered regulatory scrutiny in multiple countries, prompting service suspensions in Kenya and a pause on iris scans in India.

As of December 2023, Worldcoin reported that over 5 million people had created accounts using their identities.

(Photo Source / Blockonome)