Is World’s biometric ID model a threat to self-sovereignty?

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Worldcoin: The Daring Dance of Data and Dilemmas! 💃🕺

Ah, the crypto industry! A veritable soap opera of scandal and intrigue, and yet, few productions have garnered as much attention as Sam Altman’s latest theatrical endeavor, World, once charmingly dubbed Worldcoin. 🎭

With promises of verifying human uniqueness through the rather intimate act of iris scanning and distributing its WLD token like confetti at a wedding, World positions itself as the benevolent fairy godmother of financial inclusion. But, oh dear, critics are clutching their pearls, claiming the project’s biometric methods are as invasive as a nosy neighbor and far too centralized for comfort, clashing spectacularly with the very ethos of decentralization and digital privacy. 😱

At the crux of this melodrama lies the assertion that biometric identity systems can’t possibly be decentralized when they’re tethered to proprietary hardware, closed authentication methods, and a centralized control over data pipelines. Quite the conundrum, wouldn’t you say?

“Decentralization isn’t merely a technical architecture,” quipped Shady El Damaty, co-founder of Holonym Foundation, in a moment of dramatic flair. “It’s a philosophy that prioritizes user control, privacy, and self-sovereignty. World’s biometric model is inherently at odds with this ethos.” Oh, the irony! 🎩

El Damaty further lamented that despite wielding tools like multiparty computation (MPC) and zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, World’s reliance on its custom hardware — the Orb — and centralized code deployment is akin to a magician revealing his tricks. “This is by design to achieve their goals of uniquely identifying individual humans. This concentration of power risks creating a single point of failure and control, undermining the very promise of decentralization,” he declared, as the audience gasped. 🎭

When approached for a rebuttal, a spokesperson for World donned their best defense, stating, “World does not use centralized biometric infrastructure,” while adding that the World App is non-custodial, meaning users remain in control of their digital assets and World IDs. A noble claim, indeed!

According to the project, once the Orb generates an iris code, the “iris photo will be sent as an end-to-end encrypted data bundle to your phone and will be immediately deleted from the Orb.” They assure us that the iris code is processed with anonymizing multiparty computation so “no personal data is stored.” Quite the magic trick! 🎩✨

Evin McMullen, co-founder of Privado ID and Billions.Network, chimed in, suggesting that World’s biometric model is not “inherently incompatible” with decentralization but faces some rather theatrical challenges in implementation around data centralization, trust assumptions, and governance. A riveting plot twist!

A pattern of tech overreach?

El Damaty drew a rather cheeky parallel between OpenAI’s large-scale scraping of “unconsented user data” and World’s collection of biometric information. “The irony here is hard to miss,” he mused. “OpenAI built its foundation by scraping vast amounts of unconsented user data to train its models, and now Worldcoin is taking that same aggressive data acquisition approach into the realm of biometric identity.” Oh, the tangled web we weave! 🕸️

In 2023, a class-action lawsuit filed in California accused OpenAI and Microsoft of scraping 300 billion words from the internet without consent, including personal data from millions of users, such as children. A scandal worthy of the front page!

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World, however, dismisses this comparison with a wave of its hand, emphasizing that it is a separate entity from OpenAI. They claim to neither sell nor store personal data, citing their use of privacy-preserving technologies such as multiparty computation and zero-knowledge proofs. A bold assertion!

The scrutiny extends to World’s user onboarding, with the project claiming to ensure informed consent through translated guides, an in-app Learn module, brochures, and a Help Center. But critics remain skeptical, suggesting that “people in developing nations, who World has mainly been targeting, are easier to bribe and often don’t understand the risks involved with ‘selling’ this personal data.” A rather sobering thought! 😬

Several global regulators have pushed back on World’s operations since its launch in July 2023, with governments like Germany, Kenya, and Brazil expressing concerns over potential risks to the security of users’ biometric data. The plot thickens!

In the most recent setback, the company faced challenges in Indonesia after local regulators temporarily suspended its registration certificates on May 5. A dramatic turn of events!

The risk of digital exclusion

As biometric systems like World’s gain traction, questions are emerging about its long-term implications. While the company promotes its model as inclusive, critics argue that the reliance on iris scans to unlock services could deepen global inequality. “When biometric data becomes a prerequisite for accessing basic services, it effectively creates a two-tiered society,” said El Damaty. “Those willing (or coerced) into giving up their most sensitive information gain access… while those who refuse… are excluded.” A rather disheartening scenario!

World maintains that its protocol does not require biometric enrollment for basic participation. “You can still use an unverified World ID for some purposes even if you do not visit an Orb,” they said, adding that the system uses ZKPs to prevent linking actions back to any specific ID or biometric data. A clever ruse!

Concerns linger that World could become a surveillance tool — especially in authoritarian regimes — by centralizing biometric data in a way that may attract misuse by powerful actors. The audience gasps!

World dismisses these claims, asserting that its ID protocol is “open source, permissionless,” and designed so even government applications cannot tie back a user’s activity to their biometric data. A bold claim indeed!

The debate also extends to governance. While World claims its protocol is moving toward greater decentralization — highlighting open-source contributions and the governance section of its white paper — critics argue that meaningful user ownership is still lacking. “We need to build systems that allow individuals to prove their humanity without creating centralized repositories of biometric or personal data,” said El Damaty. “This means embracing zero-knowledge proofs, decentralized governance, and open standards that empower individuals, not corporations.” A call to arms!

The need for secure identity systems

The urgency behind developing secure identity systems isn’t without merit. As artificial intelligence grows more sophisticated, the lines between human and non-human actors online are blurring. “Risks at the nexus of AI and identity are not limited to any one kind of government system or region,” Privado ID’s McMullen said. “Without reliable verification for both humans and AI agents, digital ecosystems face growing threats—from misinformation and fraud to national security vulnerabilities.” A rather alarming prospect!

“This is a national security nightmare, where unaccountable, unverifiable non-human actors may now be able to engage with global systems and networks, and legacy systems are not built for these types of verification and contextual logic,” McMullen added, leaving us all on the edge of our seats! 🎢

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2025-05-25 15:50