Investigative journalist Nuria Piera in November 2024 was first to denounce the potential dangers of the capturing of iris and facial information of people in the Dominican Republic by Worldcoin operations in the Dominican Republic. After the report presented the potential dangers such as use for impersonation to people in the country, the local consumer protection agency, ProConsumidor had ordered on 14 November 2024 a stop to the operations. But Worldcoin announced it has secured a legal measure that allows it to proceed and will reopen as Thursday, 19 December 2024.
Worldcoin is now set on resuming operations in the Dominican Republic, despite the earlier ruling to cease its activities from the country’s consumer protection agency, Proconsumidor. The company plans to continue its services under the protection of a precautionary injunction, which it claims takes precedence over Proconsumidor’s order, as reported in N Digital.
N Digital explains that the announcement was made during a meeting between Worldcoin executives, Proconsumidor officials, and the press, where the parties discussed the scope of the services offered by Worldcoin. However, Worldcoin representatives did not provide details on the specific nature of the injunction, stating that their legal team was not present to explain the matter.
Worldcoin executives claims the country has made a US$200 million investment in the country and expressed their intent to attract further investment.
The company also addressed Proconsumidor’s concerns regarding “abusive clauses” in its contracts and alleged violations of Law 172-13, which protects consumer rights. Worldcoin rejected these claims, insisting that “no violations exist” and added that all users give their express consent to participate in the network. Additionally, they clarified that no biometric data is stored.
Worldcoin, a controversial initiative co-founded by Sam Altman, the creator of OpenAI, aims to establish a global digital identity through iris scans in exchange for cryptocurrency.
Worldcoin says it will relaunch operations with a slight rebranding, removing the letter “d” from its name, thus becoming “Worldcoin.”
In response to Proconsumidor’s earlier order halting its activities, which included a ban on iris scanning and data collection, Worldcoin expressed disagreement with the agency’s accusations. The company reiterated its stance that it complies with all legal requirements in the Dominican Republic, stating that its mission is to “empower individuals in the age of artificial intelligence” by providing access to financial systems and opportunities while protecting user privacy through advanced technology.
The Central Electoral Board (JCE) has stated that they are the only entity in the Dominican Republic authorized to store biometric data.
Read more in Spanish:
N Digital
N Digital
N Digital
Nuria Piera Investiga
Nuria Piera Investiga
YouTube Esta Noche con Mariasela
19 December 2024