The cryptocurrency project Worldcoin, jointly developed by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has encountered regulatory obstacles for its Orb iris verification service and has announced the suspension of services in India, Brazil, and France.
According to TechCrunch, Worldcoin recently started offering Orb iris verification services in India, Brazil, and France, but has now announced the suspension of services in these countries. Tools for Humanity, the foundation responsible for overseeing the development of Worldcoin, stated that they have expanded Orb to many markets this year but only provided “limited access rights.”
The sudden suspension of services is unexpected, as Worldcoin has established numerous locations in India, allowing new users to access the platform and attract a large number of people to register and receive free tokens. However, for months, the head of Worldcoin in India has privately complained about regulatory obstacles in the market.
Indian users can still use the WorldApp. Lily Gordon, spokesperson for Tools for Humanity, stated that Worldcoin is still committed to collaborating with global partners to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and provide secure, reliable, and transparent services for verifiers.
Earlier this month, Lily Gordon mentioned that Worldcoin started its global tour in multiple cities worldwide, beginning in Tokyo in April 2023 and ending in the summer. This tour allows people in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and other regions to experience the Orb iris verification service for the first time. After the launch of the Worldcoin protocol, Orb will also provide services in more cities globally.
Worldcoin officially launched globally in July this year. Individuals can download the WorldApp, verify their identity through the Orb iris verification service, obtain their exclusive World ID, and receive free Worldcoin tokens.
Brazil and France are among the cities on the Orb global tour. Even before the start of the global tour, India had already begun offering the Orb iris verification service. Worldcoin even hired more contractors to expand Orb verification work in Indian cities like New Delhi until October this year. Although Orb services have been suspended in multiple markets, Indian users can still use the WorldApp.
Worldcoin recently introduced a major upgrade called World ID 2.0 to enhance network identity verification mechanisms and improve user experience. This version introduces three different security levels, allowing users to create accounts even without using the Worldcoin Orb iris scanning.
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