Spain Orders Worldcoin to Halt Data Collection and Processing
Spain’s data protection regulator, the Spanish Agency for Data Protection (AEPD), has issued an order requiring Worldcoin to cease collecting and processing personal information within the country.
According to the Financial Times, the regulator has given the Sam Altman-backed cryptocurrency project a 72-hour window to abide by its requirements.
Additionally, the AEPD’s decision mandates that Worldcoin not only stop gathering and processing data but also ensure that the information already collected is not utilized.
Key points:
- Spain’s data protection regulator orders Worldcoin to halt data collection and processing.
- Worldcoin given 72 hours to comply.
- Complaints received by AEPD include insufficient information, data collection from minors, and inability to withdraw consent.
- Worldcoin claims AEPD is circumventing EU law and spreading inaccurate information.
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This move comes amidst concerns raised by several complaints received by the agency. These include insufficient information provided to users, the collection of data from minors, and the inability for individuals to withdraw their consent.
Worldcoin states engagement with data protection authority
In response to the AEPD’s decision, Jannick Preiwisch, a representative of Worldcoin, told Blockworks that the company has been engaging with the Bavarian data protection authority (BayLDA).
According to Preiwisch, Worldcoin has attempted to communicate with the AEPD for several months to provide them with a precise understanding of their project but has not received a response.
In addition, Preiwisch stated that the company is open to collaborating with regulators to address any concerns or inquiries they may have regarding the project. Under Spain’s General Data Protection Regulation, biometric data is given special protection due to its sensitive nature.
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AEPD issued an order on Wednesday that imposes a temporary ban on Worldcoin’s activities within Spain. Furthermore, the order stipulates that Worldcoin will not be permitted to continue its operations in the country for three months.
This is not the first time the project has faced scrutiny from international regulators. Last year, reports emerged of Worldcoin’s warehouses in Kenya being raided, while German and French regulators questioned the legality of the company’s biometric data collection practices.
