A decision similar to that of the AEPD
Also in Portugal, the National Data Protection Council (CNPD) has taken the decision to suspend the activities of Worldcoin, a company that performs mass iris scanning of people in exchange for cryptocurrency rewards. This decision is similar to the one taken by the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) in Spain (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos-en-catala/).
Concern for data protection
Both the CNPD and the AEPD consider that this practice endangers citizens’ data protection rights. In the Portuguese case, the CNPD has found that Worldcoin has scanned the irises of several minors without the authorization of their parents or guardians (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos-en-catala/) .
Possible legal actions
In Spain, Sam Altman, founder of OpenAI, filed lawsuits against the AEPD before the Superior Court of Justice of Spain. In the Portuguese case, it has not yet been pronounced in this sense. Legal actions will determine the outcome of this situation.
Goals of Worldcoin
Worldcoin claims that the mass iris scanning is aimed at creating a database of human irises for the construction of a fairer financial system. However, the AEPD and the CNPD question this statement and consider that this data could be used for other purposes, such as personalized marketing campaigns (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos- in Catalan/).
conclusion
Both the AEPD and the CNPD have suspended Worldcoin’s activities due to data protection concerns and the lack of authorization to scan the iris of minors. Possible legal actions will determine the future of this company and its mass iris scanning practice (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos-en-catala/).
