Popular crypto influencer BitBoy Crypto aka Ben Armstrong has issued a warning about Sam Altman and his controversial Worldcoin project. Altman is best known as the founder of OpenAI, the firm behind ChatGPT. His most recent venture, Worldcoin, has made headlines for offering cryptocurrency to users who submit their biometric data through iris scans.
Worldcoin was launched by Altman last month and has since made several headlines for its questionable data collection operations and run-ins with privacy watchdogs around the world. Despite the concerns, Worldcoin has managed to onboard more than 2.2 million users so far, at a claimed rate of a new user every eight seconds.
BitBoy Crypto highlighted that multiple data and privacy watchdogs had made inquiries into Worldcoin’s operations. This included France’s Commission Nationale Informatique & Libertés (CNIL) which questioned the legality of the biometric data collection carried out by Altman’s ambitious crypto project.
The Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision in Germany previously revealed that it had initiated an investigation into Worldcoin’s operations in November last year. The regulator is reportedly working with its French counterpart to probe Worldcoin. The Bavarian state regulator expressed concerns regarding Worldcoin’s large scale collection of sensitive data.
The most recent development came out over Kenya, after Kenyan law enforcement agencies raided a Worldcoin facility in the capital city of Nairobi. The raid, which was carried out under the supervision of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, resulted in the confiscation of documents and machines believed to be involved in the biometric data collection. The Interior Ministry of Kenya previously ordered Worldcoin to shut down its operations due to privacy concerns.
