Authorities believe criminals might use this biometric data to create digital replicas, facilitating digital ID theft and fraud crimes by taking advantage of the popularity of Sam Altman’s World in Argentina.
5 Citizens Arrested in Argentina Purchasing Biometric Data
Criminals are taking advantage of the popularity of Sam Altman’s World, the biometric proof-of-personhood protocol, to acquire biometric data for illicit purposes. Five individuals were recently arrested in Argentina, seeking to purchase the biometric data of others, mimicking World’s activities in the country.
According to local news media, the five citizens were offering money in cash or cryptocurrency for biometric scans of the irises of the people walking in a parking lot. A call from the security officials of the parking lot altered authorities, who acted preemptively and detained the involved.
Not many details were revealed, and authorities are now investigating to ascertain if the group arrested had done this before, and the number of citizens affected in this scheme. The existence of a country-wide, illegal network of biometric data collection is also being examined.
Experts warn about the popularity of this activity, which leads vulnerable people to exchange their biometric data for money. While this is the same modus operandi of World, the company has claimed several times that it has no access to user biometric data and that the crypto delivered to users is given as part of a reward system for participation.
While the data treatment of acquired biometric data is still a gray area in the country’s legality, the data protection agency publicly called third parties with access to private biometric data to delete it.
World has been extremely popular in Argentina. In November, the project revealed that it had enrolled over 2.2 million users, becoming the country with the most users registered on the platform.
Read more: World’s Popularity Soars in Argentina: Over 2.2 Million Registered Users
Notwithstanding, World has faced opposition from local regulators in Argentina before, being hit with a government probe in August 2023. Even so, World chose Argentina as its Latin American hub, revealing it would expand to open 50 locations last June.
Read more: Worldcoin to Establish Latam Hub in Argentina Despite Heavy Scrutiny
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