Thailand Orders World to Delete 1.2 Million Iris Scans
Thailand's Personal Data Protection Commission ordered World's local operator to delete iris scans of 1.2 million users and halt services, finding the company violated data protection laws by collecting biometric data in exchange for cryptocurrency tokens.
What happened
Thailand's Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) ordered TIDC Worldverse, the local operator of the World digital identity project, to suspend iris scan verification services after finding the company was collecting biometric data in exchange for Worldcoin cryptocurrency tokens in violation of Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act.
The PDPC ordered deletion of iris scans from 1.2 million Thai users and directed the company to prevent possible illegal transfers of the collected data overseas. Authorities also found cases in which people had their eyes scanned and then transferred the tokens obtained to others.
Reported impact
World Thailand stated the suspension negatively impacts millions of Thai users who had adopted the digital identity technology to protect against scams, identity theft and AI-driven fraud.
A source familiar with Tools for Humanity noted that by deleting the 1.2 million users' data, the company would lose around one billion baht in potential revenue.
Index analysis
The Personal Data Protection Committee's expert panel ruled that collecting sensitive biometric data in exchange for cryptocurrency was not compliant with local law and posed risks of data leakage and illegal use.
The PDPC ordered the data deletion to prevent possible illegal transfers overseas and to safeguard against data leakage and illegal use under the Personal Data Protection Act.
Governance controls
World Thailand stated it paused local verifications and removed Thailand from the list of available countries with Orb locations, while claiming to have complied with local laws and presented information to regulators openly and transparently.
The company said it would remain committed to engaging constructively with relevant Thai authorities, including MDES and PDPC, on a path forward.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.