The Privacy Commissioner emphasizes that any entity involved in the collection, storage, processing, or use of personal data must adhere to privacy regulations and data protection standards. The concerns arise from the belief that Worldcoin’s activities in Hong Kong may pose risks to the confidentiality of individuals’ personal data.
“Any person or entity that collects, stores, processes or uses personal data is subject to privacy regulations and data protection standards. We suspect that Worldcoin’s activities in Hong Kong may pose potential risks to the confidentiality of citizens’ personal data.”
To safeguard the privacy of personal data, the Privacy Commissioner has initiated legal action and commenced an audit of Worldcoin’s activities. Worldcoin is notorious for distributing digital tokens in exchange for biometrics, particularly retinal prints.
The Privacy Commissioner, Chung Lilin, has cautioned residents in Hong Kong to exercise caution when dealing with Worldcoin, advising them to “think twice before providing your biometric information to suspicious companies.”
Recent developments indicate that, following requests from law enforcement agencies, Worldcoin will no longer utilize retinal photography devices for client verification in Brazil, India, and France.