- Worldcoin’s biometric identity project, led by Sam Altman, launches in six major U.S. cities with eye-scanning technology.
- The initiative introduces new features and partnerships, including crypto loans, prediction markets, and a planned VISA card, while collaborating with Match Group for dating app verification.
- Despite claims about privacy, the project has faced regulatory pushback and criticism over its use of biometric data in multiple countries.
Worldcoin, a project developed by Sam Altman, is officially launching its biometric identity verification service in the United States. Beginning with six cities—Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco—the company aims to deploy 7,500 eye-scanning orbs across the country by year-end. The purpose of these orbs is to verify people’s identities, offering them WLD tokens in return as part of the creation of a World ID, according to the company’s recent announcement.
The WLD tokens provided can be used after a user’s identity is confirmed via iris scan. This process is intended to assist in distinguishing real people from AI bots or digital accounts. Sam Altman stressed the need to maintain humans’ special role online, noting in a San Francisco press conference: “We wanted a way to make sure that humans stayed special and central in a world where the internet was going to have lots of AI-driven content.”
Alongside its U.S. debut, Worldcoin is introducing additional features through its app. Users will soon be able to access crypto-backed loans via the Morpho lending platform and explore prediction markets using Kalshi. A Visa card is also planned for later this year, allowing payments with WLD tokens or other digital assets. The project has announced a partnership with Match Group, which operates dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, and Match.com. This partnership will start with a pilot program in Japan, enabling Tinder users to verify their age using the World ID system.
The orbs use biometric data—iris scans—to confirm users are human. Worldcoin claims that personal data is not stored, aiming to ease privacy worries. However, privacy concerns persist. Over the past two years, regulators in places like Kenya have taken action against the company, suspending operations and raiding warehouses. German officials have demanded the deletion of biometric data for violating data privacy laws, while Brazilian authorities have kept restrictions in place. The company says it continues to operate in Brazil mainly for public education purposes.
In Singapore, an ongoing investigation is examining possible illegal sales of verified accounts, raising fears about potential misuse for financial crimes like money laundering. Despite these setbacks, Worldcoin continues its global expansion, hoping to balance innovative identity solutions with regulatory and ethical expectations.
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