Portugal’s National Data Protection Commission (CNPD) said on March 26 that it would ban Worldcoin from collecting biometric data within the next three months.
The CNPD said the restriction will last for 90 days until the investigation is completed and a final decision is made. The ban applies to biometric data of the iris, eyes and face.
Ban details
There are several reasons why the CNPD imposed a ban on Worldcoin. First, Worldcoin allegedly had “no mechanism to verify the age of members” and allegedly collected data from minors without parental consent.
Additionally, Worldcoin did not provide users with sufficient information on certain options, preventing them from deleting their data or withdrawing their consent.
The CNPD said the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) includes special protections for biometric data and minors. It also cited other possible violations of GDPR standards and said these factors justified urgent intervention against Worldcoin.
CNPD President Paula Meira Lourenço called these new measures "indispensable and reasonable measures" at the moment, as they will protect the rights of the public and minors.
Worldcoin denies illegal activities
According to another report by Reuters, Worldcoin denied any illegal conduct and claimed that minors were not allowed to register through ORB.
Jannick Preiwisch, data protection officer at the Worldcoin Foundation, said Worldcoin “fully complies with all laws and regulations in the areas in which it operates.”
Preiwisch said Worldcoin had never been notified by the CNPD about these issues before. He asserted that Worldcoin has "absolutely no tolerance" for minor registrations and said the project is addressing these issues.
Worldcoin emphasized that it recently launched a user-controlled personal supervision model to give users greater control over their data. It announced the new model on March 22, releasing its Orb software as an open source license.
Spain also imposed a three-month ban on Worldcoin’s data collection activities on March 6 for the same reason. Biometric data collection has raised concerns among regulators in several other countries, with Kenya labeling it "espionage." #Worldcoin #数据收集禁令
