Get eyes scanned for crypto tokens? Privacy watchdog urges caution

Worldcoin aims to be global identity network, but biometric data collection raises concerns

- David Sun and Osmond Chia

Queues have been spotted at the basement of GR.iD shopping mall in Selegie Road, with those in line waiting to get their eyes scanned for cryptocurrency.

They wait to stare into a silver orb to get Worldcoin cryptocurrency, as part of a project co-founded by OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.

Dubbed Worldcoin, the project aims to become the world’s largest privacy-preserving human identity and financial network.

It does that by verifying user accounts, called World IDs, using users’ biometric data captured at proprietary imaging devices called Worldcoin Orbs around the world, including in Singapore.

World IDs can, in turn, be used to verify accounts on other platforms such as Discord and Shopify, proving that users are humans and not bots.

Worldcoin has been operating in Singapore since December 2023 and its orbs can be found in at least 10 locations islandwide, including GR.iD shopping mall and OGBC Innovation Hub in Raffles Place. These orbs sit within the existing premises of business owners.

Migrant workers formed the bulk of those queueing on the six days that The Sunday Times visited GR.iD mall in May and June. They were following the instructions of an agent, who helped each of them create a Worldcoin account.

A migrant worker, who did not want to be identified, said each migrant worker is paid about $45 in cash on average, after handing over control of his Worldcoin account and tokens to the agent.

“No one is forced into this. Many of us do it because everyone wants money,” he said.

The agents do not appear to be directly affiliated to Worldcoin, and declined to comment when approached by ST.

Each person can verify his account only once, and the amount of cryptocurrency tokens paid to users for verification varies.