Indonesian authorities have suspended Worldcoin, the eyeball-scanning cryptocurrency initiative co-founded by OpenAI chief Sam Altman, which is under scrutiny in several countries.
Since its launch in 2023, millions have had their irises scanned to create a “World ID”, intended to prove users are human and enable them to carry out transactions.
Worldcoin claims the data is encrypted and secure, but concerns over the use of personal data have prompted investigations in regions including Hong Kong, Kenya, Spain, and Portugal.
Indonesia’s suspension, announced on Sunday, followed public complaints about suspicious activities linked to the platform, according to a communication and digital ministry official.
“The suspension is a preventive measure to avoid potential risks to the public,” said Alexander Sabar, the ministry’s director general for digital space supervision.
The government will also summon Worldcoin’s local partners, PT Terang Bulan Abadi and PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara, to clarify their operations, he added.
Worldcoin seeks to address a key challenge in the cryptocurrency sector, which often operates pseudonymously, making it susceptible to scams and spam bots.
In May last year, Hong Kong’s Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data directed the project to cease scanning and collecting iris and facial images, citing violations of privacy laws.
Portugal’s data regulator followed suit in March 2024, raising concerns about data protection for minors, shortly after Spain’s data protection agency also ordered Worldcoin to suspend operations.