Colombian regulator investigates Worldcoin's iris-scanning for data protection violations
Colombia's data protection regulator filed charges against Worldcoin Foundation and Tools for Humanity Corporation in August 2024, alleging violations of data protection law in the collection and treatment of iris-scan biometric data. The SIC claims the companies failed to implement proper data treatment policies and obtain clear user authorization.
What happened
The Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC), Colombia's data protection authority, opened an investigation into Worldcoin Foundation and Tools for Humanity Corporation in August 2024 over alleged violations of Colombian data protection law.
The SIC formally filed charges alleging failures in implementing data treatment policies, lack of prior and clear user authorization, and deficiencies in data security policies and internal procedure manuals in the collection and processing of sensitive personal data.
Reported impact
If violations are proven, the SIC can impose sanctions including fines up to 2,000 times the monthly legal minimum wage, temporary suspension of data processing activities for up to six months, or permanent closure of operations.
Governance controls
The SIC is investigating whether Worldcoin and Tools for Humanity violated Colombian data protection legislation in collecting and treating sensitive personal data through iris-scanning verification processes.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.