Authorities Raid Six Locations of Worldcoin Project in Hong Kong to Conduct Investigations

Authorities have raided six locations of Worldcoin as part of an investigation into the crypto project, a local media outlet reported on Wednesday. The locations include Yau Ma Tei, Kwun Tong, Wan Chai, Cyberport, Central, and Causeway Bay.

Authorities Raid Worldcoin Office in Hong Kong 

According to the report, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner on January 31 raided the offices after receiving a court warrant. The report noted that the raid was part of an investigation to uncover what authorities described as “serious personal data privacy risks.” Authorities noted that Worldcoin’s collection and processing of sensitive personal data may violate the provisions of the Privacy Ordinance.

They added that this probe is also part of their effort to protect the Hong Kong public against personal data privacy.

Worldcoin was introduced into the Hong Kong market in 2023. Launched out of beta on July 24, 2023, Worldcoin is a biometric crypto project developed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The project offers a novel way to authenticate users online by utilizing iris scans. Users scan their eyes using special ” Orbs ” devices to generate a unique “World ID” linked to their iris patterns. This ID matches user identities with their digital footprints stored on the blockchain.

Worldcoin operates its own cryptocurrency dubbed WLD. In creating an inclusive financial system, users receive a token by participating in the network (usually through getting their World ID). Per reports, Hong Kong users receive 25 WLDs after completing iris recognition and registration.

Regulatory Scrutiny 

Meanwhile, the latest development adds to a series of regulatory scrutiny faced by the Worldcoin project in recent months. In July 2023, Coinfomania reported that France’s privacy regulator was probing the project over “questionable” data collection practices.

Before that, UK and Germany’s privacy regulators said they planned to investigate Worldcoin’s retina scanner to verify its safety.

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