Portugal outlaws Worldcoin due of privacy issues

The action is a further setback for the contentious project, which has previously faced numerous international restrictions.

Altman created Worldcoin in 2023 with the goal of making it the "World ID" of the cryptocurrency industry.

The system gives individuals a private digital identity based on their iris characteristics. One of the main issues in cryptocurrency, according to Altman, is the ubiquity of pseudonyms, their susceptibility to spam bots and con artists, and the more convincing deepfakes produced by artificial intelligence.

However, concerns over privacy infringement have hampered the effort. More particular, parents have expressed dissatisfaction over Worldcoin obtaining their kids' personal information without permission.

Concerns around the collection, management, and storage of data are increasingly more widespread.

The National Data Protection Commission (CNPD) of Portugal has imposed a provisional three-month suspension pending the completion of an investigation, following which a final judgment will be made.

"Safeguarding the fundamental right to data protection, in particular of minors," according to the agency, was the foundation for its actions.

Over 300,000 users have already given their biometric information in return for Worldcoin's cryptocurrency, according to the CNPD.

Three weeks have passed after Worldcoin was prohibited by Spain's data protection body before the ban in Portugal.

The Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision is conducting an inquiry into the corporation, which is headquartered in Germany. The outcome of this investigation, which should be finished in a few weeks, might have a significant impact on Worldcoin's capacity to conduct business in the EU.