Worldcoin biometric data collection under France’s CNIL lens

LONDON: France’s privacy watchdog CNIL has said it is aware of ChatGPT-founder Sam Altman’s Worldcoin project and that the legality of its biometric data collection “seems questionable”.

Worldcoin, launched last week, requires users to provide their iris scans in exchange for a digital ID and in certain countries free cryptocurrency. Its website says it has signed up 2.1 million people, mostly in a trial over the last two years.

Worldcoin has set up sign-up sites in various locations around the world, where people can get their faces scanned by a shiny spherical “orb”. Britain’s data regulator has said it will make enquiries about Worldcoin following its launch. CNIL, the French watchdog, said in response to a question from a news agency on Worldcoin “The legality of this collection seems questionable, as do the conditions for storing biometric data.”