Iris-scanning crypto project Worldcoin responds to privacy concerns amid growing scrutiny

Worldcoin, the company that offers cryptocurrency in exchange for iris scans, has responded to privacy concerns after coming under scrutiny as crowds in Barcelona lined up to have their eyes scanned.

The project, co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, scans people's eyes with a special device called Orb, which captures the image of the iris and creates a unique digital identity. In return, people receive Worldcoin (WLD) cryptocurrencies, which have already skyrocketed in price. 

Ricardo Macieira, European director of Worldcoin, addressed privacy concerns in a press conference on Friday, asserting that the project's primary goal is to distinguish humans from bots. 

"The project is designed to solve one of the biggest challenges that exists: distinguishing a human from a bot," he said. 

Macieira explained that once the iris is scanned, a personal and unique digital code is generated, and the biometric data is automatically erased. 

"We do not keep the iris data; the code is generated and the photo is deleted, and the generated code cannot be converted back to the iris image," he explained. 

This week, thousands of people lined up at Worldcoin's pop-up points across Barcelona, where the company moved its European production center last summer. 

In Spain, more than 300,000 people have already had their irises scanned and the Worldcoin app on the App Store has become the third most downloaded free app in the country. 

On Tuesday, the Catalan Data Protection Agency (APDCAT) warned of the risks of this initiative, saying that it involves the disclosure of personal data considered "highly sensitive," which allows for the unambiguous identification of a person through a physical characteristic that does not change throughout life. 

However, Macieira emphasized that the company "complies" with European Union data protection regulations and ensures that the person has "complete control" over their information.

He said that people joining the project do not have to share "any data, email or phone number," and if they choose to do so, they have the option to delete it at any time. 

"We want fair processes; when we designed the project, we wanted to make sure that people have complete control over their data," he reiterated. 

The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) is analyzing four complaints related to the processing of data by Worldcoin.