Spain Temporarily Halts Worldcoin Operations

The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) has demanded that Worldcoin immediately cease collecting personal information within the country and stop using previously obtained data, according to Reuters.

The restrictions are set for a period of three months.

The agency cited complaints regarding insufficient disclosure about the service, data collection from minors, and the inability to withdraw consent for providing information.

According to the AEPD, the processing of biometric data is protected by the GDPR and involves “high risks to human rights.” The regulator justified the urgent measures by aiming to “avoid potential harm.”

Following the announcement, the WLD token’s price fell to $6.4 but later recovered. At the time of writing, the asset is trading at $7.1, having lost 1.1% over the past day, according to CoinGecko.

The project’s main product, the World ID protocol, is based on zero-knowledge proofs. It serves as a tool allowing individuals to undergo identification using biometric data or a phone number.

Since the project’s launch, authorities in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Kenya, and Argentina have shown interest in its activities.

Previously, Worldcoin disabled the biometric verification feature using orbs for users in India, Brazil, and France.

In early February, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data in Hong Kong reported suspicions regarding the project over potential violations of data storage provisions.

Back in December 2023, Worldcoin introduced World ID 2.0, which is integrated with several platforms, including Telegram, Reddit, Shopify, and Minecraft, for passwordless authentication.