Heaptalk, Jakarta — The World app has become a hot topic in Indonesia after crowds gathered at multiple locations in Greater Jakarta to queue for World ID registration and receive Rp800,000 (approx. $50) in Worldcoin on Friday (05/02). However, concerns over biometric data privacy and security have led the government, through the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi), to suspend the platform’s operational permit on Sunday (05/04).
Tools for Humanity (TFH), the company behind the World app, emphasized that it does not store users’ personal or biometric data. The company acknowledged that its technology is relatively new and may raise concerns among some parties. “We use technology to verify an individual’s uniqueness in the AI era, especially as misinformation, disinformation, and deepfake identity theft become rampant,” TFH stated, as quoted by Antara.
The company clarified that the verification process is conducted without retaining anyone’s personal data. Instead, full control over the information remains with the user, meaning neither World nor TFH can access it. The technology is solely used to verify uniqueness without storing the data. Verification is carried out using a specialized device called the Orb, a camera that captures an image of the user’s eye to generate an iris code—a unique numerical representation of an individual’s iris pattern.
This code is not stored as raw data but is cryptographically converted into an anonymous string of numbers using advanced technology. These numbers cannot be linked back to any individual’s identity. The anonymized data is then stored separately in a third-party database managed by independent and trusted entities, such as universities, ensuring that no single party controls the data while maintaining full user anonymity.
Tokens are optional for exploring services
The original eye images and iris codes are temporarily stored in the Orb, encrypted, and then sent to the user’s device. Afterward, the data is automatically deleted from the camera. “With this system, users retain full control over their data,” TFH told Liputan6.
Furthermore, the company reiterated that while its technology is innovative, it understands potential concerns. TFH added, “We leverage technology to verify individual uniqueness in the AI age, especially amid rampant misinformation, disinformation, and deepfake identity theft.”
Regarding the cash rewards, World clarified that the distribution of Worldcoin tokens is not compensation for biometric verification. The tokens are optional and intended solely as an incentive for users to explore the services developers offer on the World platform. “These tokens serve as an incentive for users to engage with and benefit from the World network, which offers various useful services,” the company explained.
Before Indonesia, Brazil and South Korea had already taken strong measures in response to the World’s user acquisition methods, as reported by Jakarta Globe. Brazil’s data protection agency banned TFH from compensating users for iris scans. Meanwhile, South Korea’s privacy commission fined the company over $830,000 for data protection violations.
