Worldcoin, the eye-ball scanning protocol co-founded by Sam Altman, is cracking open a wider integration network by adding support for platforms such as Minecraft, Reddit, Telegram, Shopify, and Mercado Libre to its World ID offering. This comes on the back of the cohesive upgrades it has already sealed with Discord, Talent Protocol, and Okta’s Auth0.
Digital ID systems, like the one used by WorldCoin, raise significant privacy concerns due to the sensitive nature of the biometric data they collect and store. The other issue is that identity becomes immutable.
Consider a scenario where your digital identity becomes inaccessible, perhaps due to regulatory action or technical issues. In conventional financial systems, including traditional cash and most cryptocurrencies, you can simply create a new wallet and start over. However, with systems tied to unique biometric identifiers, such as iris scans, you can’t easily replace your identity. Unlike a plot from a science fiction movie, obtaining a new iris scan is not a feasible option.
Worldcoin was unleashed on the world approximately four months ago and recently revved up its protocol to reach World ID 2.0. The company underlines that this upgrade simplifies the task of distinguishing between bots and “verified” humans in the digital world.
As explained by Tiago Sada, the head of product for Tools for Humanity and a prime mover in the Worldcoin project, to TechCrunch, Reddit moderators can now employ these fresh integrations to assign unique permissions to users of the World ID.
The article frames a possible benefit of this digital ID system as fighting spam.
Furthermore, Shopify merchants could leverage World ID for anti-fraud measures or fleeting promotions.
Accentuating the bespoke potential of their platform, Sada conveys, “This is not just about the first wave of applications, but a new developer platform where developers can build.” He expresses his enthusiasm for the innovative solutions the developer community will bring.
World ID, involves creating a profile and proving identity through an iris scan. The highest level security, christened as “World ID Orb+”, involves facial recognition security in addition to the previous steps.
However, Sada confirms that the system is not infallible. Users can generate more than one World ID across multiple devices until they opt for an Orb scan, which limits them to a single ID. Despite the limitations, Sada believes the system can help curb misuse of various platforms, such as manipulative voting or maintaining multiple fraudulent accounts.
Worldcoin is broadening its presence in Mexico and Singapore, with plans to increase its footprint in Asian countries. However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the project. The Kenyan government, citing privacy concerns, has banned Worldcoin from scanning their citizens’ eyes.
