Tools for Humanity sets web privacy standard with 'World ID'... "Age verification without ID"

Doohyun Hwang

Summary

Tools for Humanity's World ID is a privacy-centered identity verification technology that enables age verification without submitting an ID.
The technology uses Zero-Knowledge Proof to avoid storing personal information on servers, and only transmits whether the age criteria are met to platforms.
Global platforms such as Match Group are adopting World ID, and it is expected to spread to games, social media, and content platforms broadly.

Tools for Humanity (TFH), developer of World (WLD), said on the 7th that its privacy-centered identity verification technology 'World ID' means website age verification no longer needs to rely on ID submission.

Currently, major platforms worldwide require users to upload ID citing the protection of minors. But TFH pointed out that this method 'collects user information on a large scale and can be abused for hacking and identity theft.' In fact, major game platforms, social networks, and adult content sites already store government-issued IDs, and this has emerged as a new security threat.

'World ID' proposed by TFH is based on Proof of Human technology. Users can prove they are adults without uploading IDs, and personal information is not stored on servers in the process. Using Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) technology, only information that 'meets the age criteria' is conveyed to platforms, and name, address, etc. are not transmitted externally.

TFH explained, "World ID removed the data collection process from the design stage," adding, "it proves a user's identity through on-device verification alone, and platforms do not hold any sensitive information."

There are real cases. Global dating app operator Match Group recently adopted World ID so users can complete age verification without submitting personal information. TFH expects this technology to spread across games, social media, and content platforms in the future.

Park Sang-wook, head of TFH's Korea branch, said, "Existing age verification systems, contrary to the purpose of protecting minors, excessively demand users' personal information," adding, "now the core of technological competition should be not how much data is collected, but how little can be collected while still securing trust." He added, "World ID is a technology that can prove age and unique humanity without exposing a person's identity or date of birth," and "it presents a new authentication paradigm premised on privacy."

WLD