The Worldcoin project, founded by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (the developer of ChatGPT), is offering people around the world the opportunity to get a digital ID and free cryptocurrency in exchange for getting their eyeballs scanned.
Despite concerns raised by privacy advocates and data regulators, the project aims to establish a new "identity and financial network" where users can prove their human identity online.
The project was launched recently, and participants in countries like Britain, Japan, and India have already undergone eyeball scans. In Tokyo, people queued up in front of a shiny silver globe to have their irises scanned, receiving 25 free Worldcoin tokens as verified users.
Privacy concerns have been raised due to the data-collection process, with some seeing it as a potential privacy nightmare. The Electronic Privacy Information Center, a US privacy campaigner, expressed worries about the extent of data collection. Worldcoin claims its project is "completely private," allowing users to delete their biometric data or store it encrypted.
Worldcoin representatives have been promoting the project, offering free t-shirts and stickers with the words "verified human" at a co-working space in London. Users were lured by the promise of financial gains from the cryptocurrency, which was trading at around $2.30 on Binance, the world's largest exchange.
Some participants, like Christian, a graphic designer, joined out of curiosity and to witness advancements in artificial intelligence and crypto. Despite privacy concerns, many participants did not read Worldcoin's privacy policy and were enticed by the prospect of free tokens.
Critics, such as UK privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch, argue that digital ID systems increase state and corporate control and may not deliver the benefits they promise. Regulators, including Britain's data regulator, are investigating the UK launch of Worldcoin.
In India, operators approached people at a mall in Bengaluru to sign them up for Worldcoin, and most individuals interviewed expressed little concern about privacy, focusing more on the opportunity to get free coins.
