Worldcoin Debuts World ID “Unverify” to Address Privacy Concerns

• Worldcoin has announced “two important updates.”
• The updates are in response to the privacy concerns surrounding the project since it launched.
• The updates will offer users more personal control over their information.

Worldcoin , the crypto project co-founded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, announced on Tuesday “two important updates” to increase personal control over the data it collects.  

Worldcoin’s latest development comes amid controversy. The project, which has been scrutinized by governments for its eyeball-scanning technology, is now facing mixed reactions from data privacy advocates. In Kenya, the Cabinet Secretary for Health alleged that its Orbs devices pose health risks to users.

Worldcoin Responds to Privacy Concerns

According to a blog announcement on April 8, Worldcoin is introducing the two updates to help build trust, increase transparency, and offer users an “increased level” of personal control.

This includes the ability to “unverify” World IDs via permanent iris code deletion and in-person age verification checks to ensure the project is accessible only to individuals 18 years and older.

“Once deletion is requested, the individual‘s World ID will become invalid and a 6-month “cool off” period will be initiated to help protect against fraud by ensuring individuals cannot immediately re-verify their humanness. At the end of this cool off period, their iris code will be permanently deleted and unrecoverable,” the statement read.

Acknowledging that it relied on in-person attestations to prevent underage signups, the project said it would bolster its efforts by performing age verification checks on users before they access registration venues.

The project said it would use third-party personnel for age checks so that Worldcoin and its contributors “can ensure that they will not know who an individual is,” demonstrating its commitment to preserving personal privacy.

Per the statement, the updates are based on preliminary assessments by Worldcoin’s lead supervisory authority in the EU, the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision (BayLDA), and were developed in consultation with third-party privacy and security experts.

Read about the ban Kenya imposed on Worldcoin:
Kenya Reiterates Worldcoin Ban Despite U.S. Govt Intervention

Stay updated on how the crypto community responded to Worldcoin’s launch:
Worldcoin Launch Meets Enthusiastic Reception, but Privacy Concerns Persist: Here’s Why