🌐 World Shifts Verification Strategy, Embracing Passport Verification 🌐
The digital identity and cryptocurrency platform, founded by AI visionary Sam Altman, has reimagined its approach to user verification. Formerly known as Worldcoin, the company now goes by "World" and will allow users to verify their identity using NFC-enabled passports—a significant addition to its original, and often debated, iris-scanning method.
This shift follows an intervention by the Spanish Data Protection Agency, which temporarily halted the company’s activities in Spain back in April.
🌍 A New Path for World
Since its 2019 inception, World aimed to establish a universal identity system that uses biometric iris data to differentiate humans from bots and AI. The concept is built around generating a unique, personal code for each individual, with early adopters rewarded with 25 WLD, the platform's cryptocurrency. This reward once peaked at over €11 but currently trades around €2.
The verification process involves a user gazing into an "Orb"—a spherical device that scans the iris to capture biometric data. While this approach attracted over seven million users, it also sparked controversy over data privacy and the ethical use of biometric information.
To address these privacy concerns and extend its service reach, World’s addition of passport verification offers a privacy-respecting alternative. This update aims to make the platform more accessible worldwide, providing users with a choice that balances security and convenience.
