South Korean privacy regulator holds Worldcoin accountable for violating the country’s privacy laws.
South Korean privacy watchdog organization Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has fined Worldcoin Foundation and affiliate Tools For Humanity (TFH) 8.8 billion won. That translates to $829,000. Worldcoin’s actions violated the country’s Personal Information Protection Act.
The PIPC held a plenary meeting on September 25 to discuss the issue, concluding that the company breached the law and ordered the fine. This meeting also saw the regulator enforce corrective actions and recommend improvements to Worldcoin’s processes.
This investigation began in February, as the regulator received information that the firm may be skirting privacy laws in the county. The investigation revealed the information to be true as Worldcoin collected iris scans of about 30,000 South Koreans. It then stored that data and transferred it to overseas entities. However, it failed to notify the participants how long it would store and use their data and what it would be used for.
Furthermore, Worldcoin did not tell them the country in which the data is being transferred and the name and contact information of the person or entity receiving the data. “In addition, the WorldCoin Foundation did not have a method or procedure to request the deletion of the iris code or suspension of processing, and TFH was found to have insufficient procedures to verify the age of children under the age of 14 when signing up for the World App,” a release issued by the PIPC said.
TFH Welcomed PIPC’s Findings
As that and other violations caused the regulator to hold Worldcoin accountable, the associated TFH accepted the orders. “We are gratified by the PIPC’s findings, which validate our unwavering commitment to user privacy and data protection. This outcome is the result of months of constructive dialogue and demonstrates that innovation and regulatory compliance can go hand in hand,” said Damien Kieran, chief privacy officer at TFH.
