Worldcoin says safety measures on clients' data implemented

The Government had in August 2023 suspended Worldcoin operations in the country pending a risk assessment. [Courtesy]

US firm Worldcoin has implemented new systems designed to address safety concerns about user privacy and the security of personal data.

The move, it says, allows users to maintain control of their personal data and its potential future usage or deletion. The move comes at a time when Worldcoin operations are still suspended in the country over data safety concerns.

The government noted concerns about the privacy of users, how user biometric data was stored, and the risk of having so much data in the hands of a private company.

The firm however says its innovation named Personal Custody, aligns with the company’s mission to foster financial inclusion with user-centric architecture and a robust and secure World ID network.

The move will now see the biometric data, which includes images and metadata generated during a user’s World ID verification process held on the user’s device.

Biometric data

Initially, after individual verification was done through the iris scan, the person had to choose to either have their biometric data immediately deleted or to allow the project to encrypt and store their private biometric data under a data custody option.

With the implementation of the feature, a user will no longer be asked whether they would like to delete their data or store it under data custody. The firm says the user’s biometric data will automatically be stored and encrypted on their device such as a smartphone, and can be immediately deleted from the system after registration.

The personal custody makes it easier for individuals to connect World ID to face authentication, allowing users to verify themselves for high-security applications on their devices.

Announcing the innovation, the firm open-sourced the core components of their Orb software, which verifies human uniqueness and generates individual biometric data.

The orb is a hardware and software solution designed by Tools for Humanity, a parent company of Worldcoin; to verify unique human identity, distinguishing humans from artificial intelligence via biometric verification methods.