The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data in Hong Kong (PCPD) announced suspicions regarding Worldcoin over potential violations related to the storage of biometric information.
The regulator’s observer visited several operational zones of Sam Altman’s project, where retinal scans are conducted.
“PCPD entered six Worldcoin premises located in Yau Ma Tei, Kwun Tong, Wan Chai, Cyberport, Central, and Causeway Bay to conduct investigations. It is concerned that the company’s operations in Hong Kong pose a significant risk to personal data,” the statement said.
The PCPD added that the startup’s collection and processing of personal information might contravene Hong Kong’s regulatory provisions. The agency has initiated an investigation “to protect the privacy of the public.”
The office advised citizens to carefully consider several key questions before providing their biometric data. These include assessing the legality of the process, understanding the scope and purpose of the collection, and identifying the organizations that will receive personal information.
Additionally, the PCPD recommended that people be aware of the retention period for biometric data and inquire about the security measures in place to protect it.
Following news of the investigation, the WLD token’s price plummeted from $2.67 to $2.25—a 15% drop, 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.
Previously, Worldcoin disabled the biometric verification feature using orbs for users in India, Brazil, and France.
In December, Worldcoin introduced World ID 2.0, which is integrated with several platforms, including Telegram, Reddit, Shopify, and Minecraft, for passwordless authentication.
Since the project’s launch, authorities in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Kenya, and Argentina have shown interest in its activities.