Thai regulators have issued a stern ultimatum to Sam Altman's Worldcoin project, demanding the immediate cessation of iris-scanning operations and permanent deletion of biometric data from approximately 1.2 million citizens. The enforcement action, backed by potential criminal penalties, represents one of the most aggressive regulatory responses to the controversial cryptocurrency project that exchanges iris scans for digital tokens.
Thailand's Personal Data Protection Committee has delivered a severe blow to Worldcoin, Sam Altman's ambitious biometric cryptocurrency project, ordering the company to halt all iris-scanning activities in the country and purge stored biometric information from roughly 1.2 million Thai citizens or face imprisonment.
The regulatory action stems from alleged violations of Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), which governs the collection and storage of sensitive personal information. Thai authorities determined that Worldcoin's practice of scanning users' irises in exchange for cryptocurrency tokens breached multiple provisions designed to protect citizens' biometric data—among the most sensitive categories of personal information under modern privacy frameworks.
Worldcoin's business model has attracted controversy worldwide since its launch. The project, backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, aims to create a global digital identity system by scanning users' irises with specialized orb-shaped devices. In return, participants receive World tokens (WLD) and a verified digital identity intended to distinguish humans from AI-generated bots in an increasingly automated digital landscape.
However, this vision has collided with privacy regulations across multiple jurisdictions. Thailand now joins a growing list of countries expressing serious concerns about iris-based identity verification systems. European regulators have similarly scrutinized Worldcoin's operations, while several nations have temporarily suspended or investigated the project's activities.
The Thai ultimatum carries significant weight, as failure to comply could result in criminal charges against company executives. This enforcement approach signals a hardening stance among regulators who view biometric data collection as requiring extraordinary safeguards due to its permanent and irreplaceable nature—unlike passwords or PINs, iris patterns cannot be changed if compromised.
The case highlights the fundamental tension between innovative blockchain applications and established privacy protections. While Worldcoin's proponents argue the technology could solve critical digital identity challenges, regulators increasingly view the collection of irreversible biometric markers as disproportionate to the benefits offered, particularly when incentivized through token rewards that may pressure economically vulnerable populations into surrendering sensitive data.
As Worldcoin navigates this regulatory minefield, the Thailand decision may establish precedent for how other nations address biometric cryptocurrency projects, potentially forcing a fundamental reassessment of the company's operational model.