How Worldcoin engages with policymakers and ensures compliance

Worldcoin is designed to create economic access for everyone while protecting individual privacy and complying with all laws in the countries in which it operates.

To do this, project contributors regularly meet with officials to deep dive into the mission and technology behind Worldcoin, answer questions and confirm regulatory compliance. Included in these conversations are key points about data security:

• No information like name, email, phone number, etc. is required to download and use World App or to verify and use World ID
• All images used to verify an individual’s World ID are deleted by default
• Any personal information voluntarily shared with the Worldcoin Foundation and project contributors will never be sold or used for monetization purposes 
• Physical and electronic safeguards, including encryption, are in place to protect user data both in transit and at rest

Concerns about data protection and individual privacy are at the forefront of many regulatory agendas. Importantly, Worldcoin is designed to be fully compliant with all laws and regulations governing data collection and data transfer. 

These include, but are not limited to:

• Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”)
• The Argentine Personal Data Protection Law (“PDPL”)
• The Mexican Federal Law on the Protection of Personal Data held by Private Parties and related regulations
• The Singaporean Personal Data Protection Act (“PDPA”)
• The Hong Kong Personal Data Privacy Ordinance (“PDPO”)
• The Japanese Act on the Protection of Personal Information Act No. 57 of 2003 (“APPI”)
• The South Korean Personal Information Protection Act (“PIPA”)

In the European Union, the project is also under the supervision of the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision (Bayerisches Landesamt für Datenschutz). 

Worldcoin is fully aligned with early initiatives to regulate AI across the world. The project’s combination of innovative technologies, including the orb, World ID protocol and its use of zero knowledge proofs, operate as a Privacy Enhancing Technology (PET) to support and help foster a secure and responsible AI and crypto ecosystem.

Worldcoin does not want to know a person’s identity, just that they are unique and human

After meeting with officials and explaining the project’s aims and regulatory compliance, work begins on identifying and vetting local Worldcoin Operators and approved operating locations. 

No one under the age of 18 is allowed to participate in the Worldcoin project, and “mystery shoppers” are regularly used to ensure operators are in compliance with local laws and regulations.

As interest in Worldcoin continues to grow, project contributor Tools for Humanity (TFH) recently named former US ambassador Trevor Traina as its head of global affairs and business development to help reinforce its commitment to regulatory compliance.

Traina was the US ambassador to Austria from 2018-2021 and is credited with helping usher in an era of Verbundenheit, or “new closeness”, between the two countries. Prior to his role in the US State Department, he established himself as a successful tech entrepreneur and a trustee of institutions including the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, the Haas School of Business and the Princeton University Art Museum.

“Worldcoin is an ambitious project with groundbreaking technology that touches on topics like digital identity, digital finance and artificial intelligence,” said Traina. “Policymakers naturally have a lot of questions. They expect us as Worldcoin contributors to see to it that the project safely lives up to its mission, and it's our job at TFH to ensure those expectations are met.”

Learn more about how Worldcoin engages with governments and policymakers to ensure compliance by visiting the Worldcoin website. You can also join the daily conversations on Twitter/X, Telegram, Discord and LinkedIn or sign up for the blog newsletter at the bottom of this page.

Additional important information concerning the project is available in the Worldcoin protocol whitepaper.