Following the reports on the ongoing iris-scanning activities of Worldcoin in Bulacan, Tools for Humanity, the developer behind the World app, issued its first statement regarding the initiative in the province.
What’s the significance: Worldcoin’s biometric data collection sparked privacy and ethical concerns, making it crucial to assess its safeguards and role in digital identity verification.
Key details:
- In a response to a BitPinas inquiry, Javier Tuiran, Communications at Tools For Humanity, confirmed that the activities in Bulacan are part of its “closed beta” operations in partnership with a local entity.
- The scope of its closed beta was not specified.
- The question arose since the activity in Bulacan is not listed in Worldcoin website’s pages.
- Tuiran also noted that all images are deleted from the Orb and only stored on the individual’s device.
Key quote:
“We are currently offering Proof of Human services in a closed beta, in partnership with a local partner. This technology is crucial as it enables individuals to confirm their humanness in an AI-dominated world, granting them a digital ‘proof of human’ for the internet and access to the global digital economy.”
Javier Tuiran, Communications, Tools For Humanity
How it works:
The communications manager from Tools for Humanity stated that the Orbs, a biometric verification device, scans facial and eye images to confirm a person’s uniqueness.
Data collection steps:
- Users visit a designated location with an Orb.
- The device scans their facial and iris data.
- Once verified, they receive a “Proof of Human” identity.
However: Tuiran clarified that participants in the Verified World Network may receive free WLD tokens, but this is separate from the humanness verification process.
Legal Compliance of Worldcoin Confirmed by Lawyer: Atty. Enrique Dela Cruz, Jr., Senior Partner, Data Protection Officer (CIPM), and Head of Fintech, Intellectual Property & Arbitration Group at DivinaLaw, emphasized in his Facebook posts that Tools for Humanity is registered with the National Privacy Commission under the Data Privacy Act of 2012, highlighting the project’s legal compliance in the Philippines.
- He also mentioned that once verified by the iris scan, users have the option to participate in the World airdrop program and receive WLD tokens.
- Participation in the airdrop is optional and doesn’t require users to use the tokens or take any further action.
In a counter argument, a legal question was raised by a commenter named Fortin Garcia Talastas about whether iris scanning violates the Data Privacy Act of 2012:
- Is participation truly voluntary if there is monetary compensation? If an incentive is provided, it raises concerns about whether consent is freely given or influenced by financial gain, said Talastas.
- The commenter noted that the justification for iris scanning is to detect deepfakes and AI bots. However, he emphasized that alternative verification methods, such as motion detection and voice recognition, could serve the same purpose.
- (Please read this section of the article.)
Unofficial cashout services
Nonetheless: Most participants join the airdrop, though some are unfamiliar with crypto, leading to the rise of “unofficial cash-out services” that help convert $WLD to cash without using PDAX—$WLD is listed on the platform.
- How it works:
- Private buyers purchase $WLD directly from participants, allowing them to bypass PDAX’s conversion process.
- Participants simply transfer $WLD from their wallet to the buyer’s wallet. These buyers promise instant cash payments, either in hand or via e-wallets like GCash
Below is the statement from Javier Tuiran, Communications Manager from Tools For Humanity:
We are currently offering Proof of Human services in a closed beta, in partnership with a local partner. This technology is crucial as it enables individuals to confirm their humanness in an AI-dominated world, granting them a digital ‘proof of human’ for the internet and access to the global digital economy.
To verify humanness, individuals use the Orb, an advanced camera that captures facial and eye images. Within seconds, the Orb processes these images using state-of-the-art technology to confirm that the individual is real and unique. Importantly, all images are immediately deleted from the Orb and stored only on the person’s device, ensuring privacy.
Where applicable, verified humans who participate in World Network may access a free allocation of WLD as a benefit for participating in the network.The process of accessing a free, optional allocation of WLD is a separate and distinct activity from the humanness verification process.
Worth reading: Read the BitPinas coverage of the iris-scanning events in Bulacan:
This article is published on BitPinas: Worldcoin Developer Tools for Humanity Addresses Legitimacy of Iris Scanning in Bulacan
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