Worldcoin (WLD) recently faced increased regulatory scrutiny after halting operations in Spain. Its developer, Tools For Humanity (TFH), has agreed to extend the operational pause in the country amid the ongoing investigation into the company’s data collection and processing.
On Thursday, the project revealed that a recent survey showed that almost 90% of its users in Spain supported the return of Worldcoin to the country.
87% of Spanish users support the return of Worldcoin
This week, Tools For Humanity announced that it would voluntarily shut down its operations in Spain for the remainder of the year. The move would allow the Bayerische Landesamt für Datenschutzaufsicht (BayLDA) to complete its audit regarding the company’s compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
TFH is committed to extending its operational pause in the country until the end of 2024 or until the end of the BayLDA consultation process. In March, the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) issued a precautionary measure ordering the cessation of the collection and processing of personal data related to the Worldcoin project.
On June 6, TFH revealed the results of a 24-hour survey carried out at the end of May. Via the World ID app, TFH asked 21,000 verified World ID holders several questions related to Worldcoin, proof of humanity, biometrics and confidential data collection.
According to the survey, 3 out of 4 respondents believe that Worldcoin could “help create a safer and more secure Internet”. 73% of those surveyed responded positively, while 20% said they were unsure.
82% of respondents agreed that technologies “such as Worldcoin/World ID are important in distinguishing humans from others.” robots online,” while 13% said they were unsure. Additionally, 81% of respondents responded that they felt safe using Worldcoin, and 87% “strongly support the return of Worldcoin operations in the country.”
Proof of Humaness Survey in Spain. Source: Worldcoin
Thomas Scott, CLO of TFH, expressed his views on the investigation and regulatory compliance in Spain, saying:
While it is encouraging that in a recent survey of World ID users in Spain, more than 80% of 21,000 respondents said they believe that technologies such as World ID are important in distinguishing robots from humans online and that almost 90% of them support the project. Back in Spain, we voluntarily proposed to extend the pause of orb operations in the country.
Global compliance and adoption
In this announcement, TFH highlighted the global feedback it received. The recent investigations in Peru, Mexico and Colombia suggest that around 80% of respondents support proof of humanity to combat online fraud and identity theft.
The findings suggest growing concern about bots, fraud and misinformation online. Respondents appear to view technology that proves humanity online as “essential” for the future. Additionally, they said they feel safer consuming content that they know was generated by a human and want technology to differentiate it.
The global reach of the Worldcoin project has also come under scrutiny around the world. As reported by Bitcoinist, the Hong Kong Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) served an enforcement notice to Worldcoin requiring it to cease operations.
Law enforcement concluded the investigation launched by the PCPD in January for “risk to the confidentiality of personal data”. Likewise, the project has faced regulatory review from countries like Germany, Kenya and France.
As of this writing, the price of WLD has decreased by 2.3% and 4.3% on the daily and weekly time frames, respectively.
WLD's price performance in the one-week chart. Source: WLDUSDT on TradingView
Featured image from Unsplash.com, chart from TradingView.com
