Worldcoin was ordered to cease operations in Hong Kong
Hong Kong's privacy watchdog has ordered the Worldcoin Foundation to cease all operations in the region because it found the project was operating contrary to local privacy regulations.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) said Worldcoin collected facial and iris data from at least 8,302 individuals during its operations in Hong Kong.
PCPD, which made 10 undercover visits to six Worldcoin locations in December 2023 and January 2024, said such information collection was “unnecessary and excessive,” contrary to the requirements requirements of the Data Protection Principles.
“Worldcoin will retain personal data for up to 10 years for the purpose of training AI models for user verification,” the watchdog said. PCPD considers that the retention period is too long and leads to prolonged retention of personal data.”
The agency said it has issued an enforcement notice to Worldcoin, ordering the company to suspend all operations in Hong Kong. Privacy Commissioner Ada Chung urged the public to report to the agency if they discover Worldcoin is still operating in the city.
In March, Worldcoin announced it would stop collecting personal data. It plans to introduce a feature called “Personal Custody,” which it claims will allow users to store their data on their own devices.
But in recent months, WLD has faced challenges in multiple jurisdictions with its digital ID collection
