Sam Altman's 'Worldcoin' Sanctioned in Brazil... Service Ban Ordered

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has seen his cryptocurrency Worldcoin (WLD) sanctioned by Brazilian authorities.

According to Cointelegraph on the 27th, the Brazilian National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) issued an order on the 25th to Tools for Humanity (TFH), the developer of Worldcoin, to cease services in the country. As a result, TFH is prohibited from offering monetary compensation for iris scans in Brazil.

The ANPD's concern is the vulnerable population. They explained that offering monetary compensation in exchange for biometric information could unduly influence the decision-making of vulnerable groups. The ANPD stated, "TFH's compensation policy may interfere with an individual's free judgment regarding the provision of biometric data."

Worldcoin is a cryptocurrency launched by CEO Altman in 2023. It utilizes iris recognition technology developed by TFH. The goal is to build a digital identity and financial network using this technology. The intent is to use iris information to distinguish between humans and machines as artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly advances.

Meanwhile, Germany also issued corrective measures against Worldcoin at the end of last year, urging compliance with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).