The investigation conducted by Hong Kong’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) has determined that the Worldcoin project’s biometric data collection practices violated the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO). Privacy Commissioner Ada Chung Lai-ling issued a notice on May 22, mandating an immediate halt to all Worldcoin operations in Hong Kong that involve collecting iris and facial images.
Starting in January 2024, the PCPD’s investigation aimed to evaluate whether Worldcoin’s identity verification methods posed significant risks to personal data privacy and compliance with the PDPO. Over the course of the probe, the PCPD conducted 10 undercover visits to six Worldcoin operation sites between December 2023 and January 2024.
The investigation revealed that the collection of facial images was unnecessary for verifying the authenticity of participants, as this could easily be done in person by the operators at the locations. Worldcoin was criticized for not providing sufficient information, which prevented participants from making informed decisions and giving genuine consent.
A major concern was that Worldcoin’s privacy notice was not available in Chinese, making it difficult for non-English speakers to understand the project’s policies, practices, terms, and conditions. Additionally, the operators at the scanning sites failed to adequately explain the documents to participants, confirm their understanding, or inform them of the potential risks associated with sharing their biometric data.
As a result, the PCPD determined that the collection of facial and iris images was both unfair and illegal, breaching Hong Kong’s data protection principles. Furthermore, retaining this sensitive biometric data for up to ten years for AI model training purposes was deemed unjustifiable.
Worldcoin reported that during its operations in Hong Kong, 8,302 individuals had their facial and iris images scanned for verification. The project, which launched in 2021, attracted over two million sign-ups before its official launch in July 2023. However, Worldcoin has come under regulatory scrutiny worldwide due to privacy concerns, leading to the suspension of its services in Kenya and the discontinuation of iris scans in India.
Tags: WLD