Obviously they have not done it for free, but in exchange for a cryptocurrency called Worldcoin, created by a company of the same name founded by Sam Altman. This is a controversial deal that is raising doubts about the dangers it may pose.

Technology

You can change your name or residence, but not your iris

Volunteers over 18 years old can have their eyes scanned at Worldcoin booths. They will do so under the supervision of a company employee. They just have to keep their eye on an instrument called Orb, which will scan it. In exchange they will get a handful of Worldcoin worth tens of euros.

The iris information is housed in each Orb to be transformed into a code. To create the code, iris data is used, but also others, such as the mobile number. After the code is created from the biometric scanner, the iris data is deleted, according to the company. This means that the scanner itself will not be in the hands of Worldcoin.

However, what would happen if the devices are hacked or stolen? If, somehow, malicious people obtained biometric scanners, it would be a very dangerous violation of our privacy, since the iris is a part of us that contains a lot of information and is immutable.

There are no two people in the world with the same iris. It is a unique, differential element that allows us to recognize each other exactly. We can change our name, our residence and even our height, but never our iris. We can't change it either. All of this opens doors to identity theft scenarios that a large part of the population is not aware of.

Some of those who know it least are teenagers. Although Worldcoin only scans the irises of those over 18 years of age, many young people wait in lines to scan that highly identifying part of the body. On the other hand, the Spanish AEPD is investigating the company, according to El Español, something that is also happening in other countries, such as Germany.

Meanwhile, Worldcoin is rising to its all-time high.