Crypto for biometrics? Privacy fears as Worldcoin scans Mexicans

Worldcoin - founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman - is pushing its project to create a “digital passport” called World ID.

Dozens of crypto enthusiasts streamed into co-working spaces in Mexico City this week for the global launch of Worldcoin, hoping to have their irises scanned with a biometric verification device in exchange for cryptocurrency.

Mexico City is one of 35 cities in 20 countries where Worldcoin - founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman - is pushing its ambitious project to create a unique "digital passport" called World ID, which would help distinguish humans from bots online.

"In the future, proof of humanity will be more relevant than ever to know if you're interacting with a human or with artificial intelligence," said Worldcoin operator Germán González from a small co-working space in the Coyoacán neighborhood.

González is one of a handful of operators dispatched across Mexico by Worldcoin to collect iris scans through a device known as an 'orb'.

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But privacy advocates have voiced concerns about building a private database of biometric information - and warned that citizens could be left unprotected in cases of data breaches or abuses in countries with weak data protection like Mexico.

"No technology is infallible," said Agneris Sampieri, Latin America policy analyst at digital rights group Access Now. "There is a margin of error when users lose all control over the data generated through their biometrics."