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Worldcoin Faces $1.2 Million Fine In Argentina For Law Violations; WLD’s Price Reacts

In recent months, Sam Altman’s open-source protocol Worldcoin (WLD) has faced increasing legal challenges as Portugal and Spain cracked down on its biometric data collection practices. Argentina has joined the list, issuing an indictment against Worldcoin after detecting allegedly abusive clauses in user contracts. 

Worldcoin Faces Legal Scrutiny In Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires authorities have identified discrepancies between Worldcoin’s reported data handling practices and findings from provincial inspections, raising concerns about the storage and deletion of biometric data and potential infringements on user rights.

The Ministry of Production, Science, and Technological Innovation of the province of Buenos Aires ordered the indictment of Worldcoin following an investigation by the Provincial Directorate for the Defense of Consumer Rights. 

The investigation revealed the inclusion of “abusive clauses” in the company’s accession contracts, which were allegedly in violation of the National Consumer Protection Law.

Undersecretary Ariel Aguilar, responsible for Commercial Development and Promotion of Investments in the province, expressed concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding Worldcoin’s data processing procedures. 

Aguilar questioned whether biometric data was being stored or immediately deleted, the existence of databases storing personal data of Argentine users, and the complexity of the contracts and operation of the entire system.

The province’s inspections uncovered multiple violations in the adhesion contracts, including the “Terms and Conditions of Use,” “Privacy Notice,” and “Data Consent Form.” 

Notably, the company failed to display signs indicating the minimum age requirement of 18 for accessing the service, potentially leading to the scanning of the personal data of minors.

Contradictions In Worldcoin’s Handling Of Biometric Data

Contradictions were also found between the company’s reported use, protection, and storage of biometric data collected from the faces and eyes of Argentine users. It appears that this private information is being stored in Brazil. 

Additionally, abusive clauses were identified that allowed the company to interrupt the service without providing any repair or refund. 

The contracts also allegedly forced users to waive collective redress claims and subjected them to foreign laws, specifically those of the Cayman Islands, with disputes to be resolved by arbitration in California, United States, violating Argentina’s Civil and Commercial Code. Worldcoin now faces potential fines of up to 1 billion pesos or $1.2 million. 

The company had been operating in various cities in Buenos Aires. Worldcoin collected personal biometric data, such as iris and facial scans, in these locations through its Orb technology device.

In exchange, users were offered the World App financial application on their phones and received cryptocurrency from Worldcoin’s native token, WLD.

Unexpected Upswing

Despite facing increasing legal scrutiny in recent months, including the latest development in Argentina, the token associated with the Worldcoin protocol, WLD, has experienced an unexpected surge of 2.6% within the past 24 hours, currently trading at $4.80.

However, when examining key metrics, it becomes evident that the overall market correction has impacted WLD. CoinGecko data reveals that WLD’s trading volume in the last 24 hours amounts to $319,113,250, indicating a decrease of 7.10% compared to the previous day. 

Additionally, WLD has witnessed a significant decline of over 58% from its all-time high of $11.74, reached on March 10.

Worldcoin

Moreover, the token’s market capitalization has experienced a notable decrease. Since its peak of $1.4 billion recorded on March 17, the market cap has fallen below the billion-dollar level, currently standing at $920 million as of the time of writing.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com

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Worldcoin (WLD) 12% Rally Hits A Snag: Portugal Demands Halt To Biometric Data Collection

In a recent development, Portugal’s data regulator, the National Commission for the Protection of Data, also known as the CNPD, has issued an order to stop Sam Altman’s iris scanning project, Worldcoin, from collecting biometric data for 90 days. 

Worldcoin’s Compliance Under Fire

According to a Reuters report, the CNPD’s suspension specifically targets the Worldcoin Foundation, a memberless entity based in the Cayman Islands, described on its website as the sole member and director of World Assets Ltd, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands responsible for issuing Worldcoin tokens to sign-up participants.

The CNPD cited an alleged “high risk” to citizens’ data protection rights as the main reason for its urgent intervention. The regulator expressed concerns about the “unauthorized” collection of data from minors, the lack of information provided to data subjects, and the inability to delete data or withdraw consent. 

The halt order also noted that over 300,000 individuals in Portugal had provided their biometric data to Worldcoin, leading to numerous complaints being lodged with the CNPD.

Jannick Preiwisch, the data protection officer at the Worldcoin Foundation, responded to the CNPD’s order by stating that Worldcoin is “fully compliant” with all laws and regulations about biometric data collection and transfer. Preiwisch emphasized the company’s zero-tolerance policy for underage sign-ups and its commitment to addressing any reported incidents.

Worldcoin has recently transitioned to “Personal Custody,” aiming to give users control over their data, including options for deletion and future use. The CNPD’s order to stop data collection is considered temporary, allowing for additional due diligence and analysis of complaints during the ongoing investigation.

Privacy Storm Engulfs Worldcoin

The Regulatory scrutiny of Worldcoin extends beyond Portugal. As NewsBTC reported, Spain’s data protection watchdog issued a three-month ban earlier this month in response to privacy complaints, and Kenya suspended Worldcoin’s operations in August 2023. 

Moreover, the Bavarian State Regulatory Authority, acting as the lead authority in southeastern Germany, is currently investigating Worldcoin under European Union data protection rules due to the presence of a German subsidiary owned by Tools For Humanity, the company behind Worldcoin.

As the investigation into Worldcoin’s data collection practices continues, the project faces significant challenges in addressing regulatory concerns and maintaining public trust in its ambitious vision. According to its website, the project claims to have garnered over 4.5 million sign-ups from individuals in 120 countries.

Regulatory Hurdles Fail To Dampen WLD’s Performance

Despite the recent regulatory challenges faced by Worldcoin, the decentralized cryptocurrency has managed to maintain its gains of 12% over the past seven days. After reaching an all-time high (ATH) of $11.95 on March 10, the project’s native token, WLD, experienced a sharp drop to $7.24 but has since recovered.

Currently trading at $9.01, WLD has capitalized on the overall market rebound and its seven-day uptrend, surging by almost 9% in the past 24 hours. 

The trading volume for WLD in the last 24 hours is $416,136,329, indicating a significant 65.10% increase compared to the previous day, suggesting renewed interest in the token.

Looking ahead, the $9.5 level is expected to provide the nearest resistance for the WLD token, followed by the $10.14 mark, should the rally continue. On the downside, the $8.36 level is the closest support on the daily chart. 

In a potential downtrend, failure to hold this support level could decline toward the $8 mark, with the next significant resistance at $7.93.

Worldcoin

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com

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Spain Blocks Worldcoin Project Over Data Privacy Concerns, WLD Token Slides 7%

The cryptocurrency project Worldcoin, spearheaded by Sam Altman, has faced another setback as Spain takes steps to block the venture. The Spanish data protection regulator, AEPD, has ordered Worldcoin to immediately halt the collection of personal information within the country and cease using the data it has already gathered. 

Concerns Over Worldcoin Eyeball-Scanning Data Collection

According to a Financial Times report, the AEPD expressed concerns about the project’s use of an eyeball-scanning “orb” to collect customers’ data. The regulator is expected to announce a “precautionary measure” on Wednesday, and Worldcoin has been given 72 hours to demonstrate compliance with the order.

Worldcoin, co-founded by Altman in 2019, has offered its cryptocurrency tokens to individuals worldwide in exchange for consent to scan their eyes with an orb. The scans serve as a means of identification, aiming to establish a reliable mechanism to distinguish between humans and machines as artificial intelligence advances. 

However, the Spanish regulator’s action adds to a series of setbacks faced by Altman and his co-founders, Max Novendstern and Alex Blania, who have encountered resistance in various countries.

Last year, Worldcoin faced opposition from authorities in Kenya, resulting in an order to cease operations. Additionally, the project refrained from launching its crypto tokens in the United States due to the country’s stringent regulations on digital assets. 

The report further notes that major global markets such as China and India have also not made the Worldcoin token available. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office had also expressed intentions to investigate Worldcoin.

Consumer Complaints In Spain

While some jurisdictions have questioned the viability of Worldcoin’s cryptocurrency token, Spain’s recent action specifically targets the project’s core objective of establishing a method to verify customers’ “personhood.” Altman acknowledged the possibility of Worldcoin existing without its in-house cryptocurrency, as the start-up faces growing scrutiny.

Worldcoin has reportedly registered approximately 4 million users, and investments totaling around $250 million have come from venture capital firms such as Andreessen Horowitz and Khosla Ventures and prominent individuals like Reid Hoffman and Sam Bankman-Fried. 

The project gained media attention and sparked consumer complaints in Spain, particularly as queues formed at shopping center stands where Worldcoin offered cryptocurrency in exchange for eye scans.

In January, the data protection watchdog in Spain’s Basque Country, known as AVPD, warned about the eye-scanning technology used by Worldcoin in a mall in Bilbao. 

The AVPD deemed it subject to biometric data protection rules and called for a risk assessment. As a result of Spain’s regulatory action, the native token of Worldcoin, WLD, has experienced a 7% decline within the past 24 hours.

WLD Halts 200% Price Surge 

Worldcoin’s native token, WLD, has halted its 200% upward trend over the past 30 days as the focus shifts to Bitcoin (BTC), which recently achieved a new all-time high (ATH) on Tuesday. Despite the significant uptrend in the past month, WLD has experienced a 5.8% price correction in the last seven days.

Furthermore, the token’s market capitalization has slipped below the $1 billion mark and currently stands at $997 million. However, the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology developed by Sam Altman’s projects hold the potential to influence the token’s price in the future significantly. 

Despite being down by 26% from its ATH of $9.44, the ongoing technological advancements in this field indicate that the token’s prospects remain promising.

Moving forward, it remains to be seen how the project’s founders will respond to the regulatory measures taken in Spain and how these actions will ultimately impact the token’s future price trajectory.

Worldcoin

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com

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Regulatory Pressure Mounts On Worldcoin, Can WLD Price Recover?

Worldcoin, the brainchild of OpenAI’s Sam Altman, made its official entrance into the world of cryptocurrencies in July. At first, things went smoothly as the euphoria from the launch grew. But this would only be short-lived because regulators began to pay close attention to Worldcoin’s data collection activities. In the last couple of weeks, regulators in various jurisdictions have brought Worldcoin under a microscope, significantly impacting the price of its native token, WLD.

Regulatory Concerns Engulfs Worldcoin

Not too long after its launch, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin first raised alarm about Worldcoin’s technology. According to Buterin, there were major privacy and security concerns, highlighting that user data collected using Worldcoin’s orbs could be prone to abuse.

Following this, reports emerged of some people getting less technologically savvy residents to scan their iris at Kenyan orb locations and then paying them one-third of the 25 WLD token rewards for doing so. In light of this, the Kenyan government launched a crackdown on the firm, leading to a temporary pause of its activities in the country.

Worldcoin’s problems didn’t end there as Germany’s Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision (BayLDA) also launched an investigation. The regulator’s concern centered on Worldcoin’s data processing practices and how it was transferring information.

Most recently, the company has come under fire in Argentina where regulators are currently investigating its operations in the country. This is in addition to regulators in the United Kingdom and France also questioning Worldcoin’s data handling practices.

Can WLD Price Recover From This?

In light of the increased regulatory scrutiny around Worldcoin, its native WLD token has naturally suffered. WLD’s price has been on a consistent decline following its initial price pump on launch day, falling double-digits in the last few weeks.

With so many investigations into the activities of the company, it is likely that this downtrend will continue. And if lawsuits were to result from these investigations, then WLD price could suffer the same fate as XRP following the SEC lawsuit back in 2020.

Interestingly, the daily trading volume of WLD is up 44% in the last day. This signals growing interest in the coin which could lead to a price recovery. But such a recovery would only be short-lived as long as the uncertainties surrounding Worldcoin remain.

Over the last 24 hours, the price of WLD has fallen 6.79% to trade at 1.7 at the time of this writing. It is recording losses of 25.64% on the weekly chart, but meager gains of 1.72% on the 30-day chart.

Worldcoin (WLD) price chart from Tradingview.com