• Sam Altman’s Worldcoin project has been banned in Spain over privacy concerns.
• The tech has raised eyebrows for its requirement for users to scan their eyeballs.
• The project’s eye-scanning orb is aimed at verifying users for the cryptocurrency project.

Sam Altman‘s futuristic Worldcoin project has just been banned in Spain.

On Wednesday, Spanish data protection regulator AEPD cited concerns around Altman’s iris-scanning orb and ordered Worldcoin to immediately cease the collection of personal information in the country for at least three months.

The regulator called the move “precautionary measures aimed at the immediate cessation of the processing activities to prevent the possible transfer of data to third parties and to safeguard the fundamental right to the protection of personal data.”

In response to the ban, Worldcoin accused the regulator of “spreading inaccurate and misleading claims about our technology.”

“It is unfortunate that the Spanish data protection authority (AEPD) is circumventing established procedures under GDPR with their actions today, which are limited to Spain and not the broader EU,” Jannick Preiwisch, the data protection officer at the Worldcoin Foundation, told Business Insider.

“We are grateful to now have the opportunity to help the AEPD better understand the important facts regarding this essential and lawful technology,” he added.

The futuristic tech has raised eyebrows over the requirement for users to scan their eyeballs with a large silver orb. The scan is used to verify users for the cryptocurrency project, aiming at “distinguishing humans from AI online while preserving privacy.”

Worldcoin grants verified users a digital identity known as a World ID.

For Altman, the project offers a vital means of allowing users to provide “proof of personhood” online amid the rise of AI-generated content.

Altman and fellow cofounder Alex Blania also say the project could “drastically increase economic opportunity” if successful.

However, some users have privacy concerns over the project’s use of biometric data. Worldcoin has tried to assure users that biometric information remains on the orb and is deleted once uploaded.

Still, the project has faced challenges since its rollout began and was briefly subjected to a similar ban in Kenya. In August, the Kenyan government ordered Worldcoin to stop signing up new users, citing data privacy concerns.

The project was reportedly set to return to Kenya in early 2024 after successful negotiations with the country’s government.

Worldcoin also has public perception issues, with some users dubbing the Orbs “dystopian” and “creepy.”

But while the project has noble aims, with Altman stating that Worldcoin aims to usher in a universal basic income, users and governments worldwide still appear hesitant.