- Argentina’s Agency for Access to Public Information (AAIP) has initiated an investigation into Worldcoin’s data processing activities, following Kenya’s recent raid on a Worldcoin warehouse.
- The AAIP’s inquiry focuses on verifying the security measures adopted by the Worldcoin Foundation in Argentina to protect users’ privacy within the digital application.
- The investigations by both countries reflect concerns about Worldcoin’s data practices and privacy impact, raising questions about its activities in various nations.
Argentina has become the second country to take a dim view of Worldcoin after the Agency for Access to Public Information (AAIP) announced that it is conducting an investigation into the project. The AAIP works to ensure that companies that collect citizens’ personal data look after it responsibly and allow individuals access to their data, and there is no suggestion yet that Worldcoin’s operator Tools for Humanity is doing anything wrong. The news comes almost a week after Kenyan authorities raided a Worldcoin warehouse in Naorobi and seized documents and iris-scanning orbs.
Argentina Wants to Protect User Data
The AAIP announced its investigation yesterday, saying that it was looking into [translated] “the processing of personal data carried out by the Worldcoin Foundation in Argentina” with the aim of “verifying the security measures adopted within the framework of the protection of the privacy of the users of the digital application.”
The investigation will examine the procedures concerning the gathering, retention, and utilization of personal information, aiming to detect potential impacts on the rights established by privacy laws. The AAIP will implement any necessary measures to rectify identified concerns and guarantee the company’s adherence to security and privacy regulations.
Double Trouble for Worldcoin
The news comes hot on the heels of Kenya’s investigation into Worldcoin, which last weekend saw a warehouse owned by Tools for Humanity raided by Nairobi police and multi-agency officials. Authorities there are particularly concerned about Tools for Humanity’s lack of transparency during registration regarding their true intentions, according to Kenya’s Data Commissioner.
Despite Worldcoin’s claims that it doesn’t store data, privacy experts worry about the potential exposure of sensitive iris scanning information, and it may be that Kenya and Argentina are not the last countries to investigate the project.
