The Worldcoin Foundation has released a new open source system to more effectively protect sensitive information.
This system, now accessible in a GitHub repository, allows any organization to adopt these advanced data protection measures.
The foundation stressed that this initiative aims to set a “new benchmark” in data security, particularly for biometric data.
The transition to this innovative system has led to the Worldcoin Foundation to remove iris codes previously collected during user registration.
Notably, participants in the Worldcoin project first had their eyeballs scanned by specialized Orb devices to verify their identity and receive WLD tokens, the project’s cryptocurrency. This process was part of the foundation’s efforts to create a unique digital ID for each user.
Secure multi-party computing and user privacy
The foundation’s new system is based on secure multiparty computing (SMPC), a subset of cryptography that improves data protection by distributing a single secret among multiple parties.
This method increases the security of stored information ensuring that the entire data set is never kept in one place, reducing the risk of data breaches.
The Worldcoin Foundation, in collaboration with technologists from TACEO and Tools for Humanity, has developed a new implementation of SMPC that addresses previous limitations related to scale and cost.
This development is particularly relevant as the requirement for individuals to provide biometric data to various organizations becomes increasingly common. The Worldcoin Foundation has highlighted the growing need to securely protect user data from potential threats and misuse.
Meanwhile, prior to this development, Worldcoin came under scrutiny from regulators in several countries, including concerns over its data collection practices.
For example, The Hong Kong Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data conducted an investigation against the project earlier this year, citing privacy concerns. In this context, the foundation’s decision to remove iris codes and improve privacy measures is even more remarkable.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has already praised Worldcoin’s efforts to improve confidentiality. He praised the project’s “minimal data” approach and its ability to outperform traditional, centralized authentication solutions in protecting user privacy.
Looking Ahead: Worldcoin’s Strategic Expansion
Worldcoin is also preparing for the launch of the World Channel, an open source layer 2 Ethereum blockchain, which is expected to debut in mid-2024. This platform aims to “revolutionize” human authentication by integrating with the Worldcoin protocol and providing dedicated infrastructure to transition from existing networks.
The protocol has demonstrated significant adoption, with over 5 million people registered across 160 countries and 49 million transactions through verified wallets.
The Next Global Chain seeks to improve scalability, support a growing user base, and foster a stronger ecosystem for the project.
This effort includes addressing the challenges posed by automated transactions, which constitute approximately 80% of all blockchain activity and often lead to network congestion.
According to the report, the Worldcoin team is also attempting to safely increase the L2 block gas limit, supported by research on performance scenarios to ensure a secure and inclusive ecosystem.
Featured image from The Block, chart from TradingView
