Hong Kong Privacy Commissioner investigates Worldcoin for collecting iris data in potential breach of privacy laws

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data in Hong Kong conducted an investigation on October 31 into the operations of Worldcoin project's 6 locations in Hong Kong. They are suspected of violating privacy regulations, collecting and processing sensitive personal data, and have requested the operators to provide relevant information. However, the Commissioner admitted that they have not received any related complaints, and the action was taken solely to "protect the privacy of citizens."

Hong Kong Privacy Commissioner Investigates Worldcoin Iris Scanner Operations

According to HK01 report, the Privacy Commissioner's Office stated that they have not received any complaints to date but initiated an investigation into Worldcoin proactively to safeguard citizens' privacy. The investigation involved visiting six locations under a court order, requesting the operators to provide relevant documents and data.

Paul Fan, Honorary Chairman of the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation, stated that iris recognition technology is a form of biometric authentication, similar to facial and fingerprint recognition, and is expected to be used as one of the encryption keys in cryptocurrency transactions in the future.

Due to privacy concerns, iris recognition technology is relatively less used in the market. Fan believes that the current impact of the leaked information is minimal since only a few people have provided iris data through Worldcoin. However, the increasing use in the future could pose problems, and the collection of iris data should comply with the requirements of the Privacy Ordinance, including explaining the purpose, processing, and disposal.

Worldcoin Official Maintains Silence

Worldcoin has always maintained a very low-profile stance on regulation, with no explanations provided on their official Twitter.

Worldcoin announced its expansion into markets in Singapore, Europe, Asia, and South America at the end of last year but suspended services in countries like India, Brazil, and France.

Recently, on the 24th, they announced the open-sourcing of their hardware device "Iris Scanning Device Orb" in hopes of reducing privacy concerns in the market.

Worldcoin open sources the Iris Scanning Device Orb, aiming to reduce privacy concerns in the market

Progress towards open sourcing the orb. pic.twitter.com/t2bc8Uu8pT

— Worldcoin (@worldcoin) January 24, 2024