Worldcoin, the eyeball-scanning crypto project owned by Tools for Humanity and led by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has encountered another hurdle as Spain’s High Court maintains a temporary ban issued by the Data Protection Agency (AEPD) last week.
The AEPD imposed a three-month ban, citing concerns about child participation and privacy rights, preventing them from collecting additional personal data or utilizing the data it had already amassed.
Despite its prompt legal response with a filed lawsuit against the ban, the High Court rejected the request on Monday. The court emphasized that the “safeguarding of the public interest” must take precedence, dismissing Worldcoin’s claims as “unsubstantiated assertions.”
In response to the ban, Worldcoin accused the AEPD of disseminating “inaccurate and misleading claims about our technology globally” and criticized the agency for allegedly bypassing established GDPR procedures.
The company’s objective is to build a digital ID database by collecting iris data from individuals globally. The project, operated by Tools for Humanity and spearheaded by Sam Altman, offers free cryptocurrency in exchange for data and asserts the ability to distinguish between humans and AI.
Worldcoin is attracting complaints globally
The AEPD cited multiple complaints against Worldcoin, including concerns about insufficient information disclosure, data collection from minors, and hindering the withdrawal of consent.
This setback in Spain adds to the global scrutiny faced by Worldcoin, with ongoing investigations in South Korea and inquiries from the UK, France, Argentina, and Kenya, mainly focusing on privacy issues.
Despite these challenges, its native token, WLD, has experienced remarkable growth, surging over 280% in the past month and currently hovering just below $10. The project’s controversial data collection methods and legal battles have not deterred investor interest, highlighting the complex relationship between privacy concerns and the cryptocurrency market dynamics.