Indonesian authorities suspend Worldcoin's eyeball-scanning cryptocurrency project

Indonesian authorities have suspended Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency initiative co-founded by OpenAI chief Sam Altman that is being scrutinized in several countries for its unique eyeball-scanning technology, according to a report by Reuters.

The suspension follows public complaints about suspicious activities linked to the platform, said an official from the ministry of communication and digital.

"The government is suspending the activities of the Worldcoin project in Indonesia," said Alexander Sabar, the ministry's director general for digital space supervision, in a statement issued on Sunday.

"This suspension is a preventive measure to avoid potential risks to the public."

The government will also summon Worldcoin's local partners, PT Terang Bulan Abadi and PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara, to clarify their operations, Sabar added.

Worldcoin, which is scanning millions of people's irises to create a "World ID", aims to solve a key challenge in the cryptocurrency sector.

Its transactions are typically carried out pseudonymously online, rendering them susceptible to scams and spam bots.

However, to perform transactions on Worldcoin, users must have a World ID, which is intended to verify that they are human, the report explained.

The project, which is being co-founded by Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, launched in May 2023.

Since then, it has been the subject of investigation in several countries, including Hong Kong, Kenya, Spain, and Portugal, over concerns regarding the use of personal data.

Earlier this year, Hong Kong's Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data ordered the project to cease scanning and collecting iris and facial images, ruling that it breached the city's privacy laws.

In March 2024, Portugal's data regulator also ordered Worldcoin to suspend operations, highlighting concerns over data protection for minors.

The move followed a decision by Spain's data protection agency to order the project to halt activities in the country.