Worldcoin, the highly anticipated crypto project of Sam Altman, the boss of OpenAI, finds itself at the heart of a controversy. Some Chinese users are desperately looking for unconventional ways to participate in the distribution of Worldcoin tokens. Recent reports reveal that these people source iris scans from remote areas like Cambodia and Africa, raising concerns about the integrity of the system.
Scammers exploit iris scans to gain access to tokens
Worldcoin is about to introduce a unique token distributed to individuals who can prove their separate identity. This start-up offers an identity verification system based on iris scans performed via devices called “orbs”. Authenticated people receive Worldcoin tokens as a reward. As of now, over 1.7 million people have already signed up for the cast.
However, as the launch date approaches, some malicious individuals try to circumvent the system. Recently, BlockBeats, a Chinese news site, exposed a concerning practice via its official Twitter account.
According to information reported by BlockBeats, some users in China are buying iris scans from Cambodia and Africa at extremely low prices, sometimes as low as $30. These scans, obtained in a dubious way, allow them to bypass the authentication process and potentially access Worldcoin tokens without meeting the required criteria.
Faced with this worrying situation, a Worldcoin spokesperson acknowledged these incidents in a statement provided to The Block. Although the spokesperson admitted to the existence of such cases, he stressed that the problem was limited to a relatively small number, estimated at “a few hundred”.
The project raises concerns!
In a blog post published in March, Worldcoin had already addressed the issue of account theft, stressing the crucial importance of tightening security to preserve the integrity of their system.
In order to counter the illegal sale of personality proof IDs, Worldcoin has implemented a mechanism allowing users to regain control of their “World ID“, the verified account associated with the distribution of the tokens. Users now have the option to recover their World ID by going through a secondary scan performed by one of the orbs.
Moreover, this biometric technology raises serious concerns about the protection of personal data. In October 2021, Edward Snowdena former NSA consultant, had sounded the alarm about the risks associated with this database.
In addition to privacy concerns, some are also critical of Worldcoin’s business model. They point out that the team would retain 20% of the total Worldcoin token supply, thus calling into question the alleged fairness of the token distribution.
Since the success of Chat GPT, crypto projects based on artificial intelligence have been growing in popularity. Worldcoin is currently cashing in on this craze, especially since the announcement of OpenAI’s $100 million investment in the project.
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