Worldcoin Pilots ‘Face Auth’ Account Verification To Prevent Fraud

Worldcoin, the controversial digital ID project, launched a pilot for its new face-scanning technology intended to clamp down on World ID sales and thefts.

On Sept. 19, Worldcoin launched Face Auth, a face comparison feature designed to ensure that only users who verify their World ID can use the account.

Users verify their World ID by taking a selfie using the same divide that stores the iris data used to set up their account. If the images match, users can access their World ID to securely sign in to applications, authorize financial transactions, or conduct online purchases.

“[Face Auth] ensures only the person who verified their World ID at an orb can use it,” Worldcoin said. “This prevents fraud by defending against a malicious actor who steals (or purchases) someone’s phone and uses their World ID.”

The Worldcoin Foundation later plans to open-source the Face Auth technology, allowing it to secure other sensitive applications.

Worldcoin was founded by Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, with the objective of providing a digital ID proving a user’s humanness in response to the rise of artificial intelligence.

Users can sign up for a World ID by undergoing an iris scan and receive WLD tokens as an incentive. Users store biometric data on their own device, with Worldcoin deleting iris scan information once a World ID is issued.

World ID Sales

Reports surfaced in May 2023 claiming that groups in China were offering Worldcoin users $30 in exchange for registering their World ID to a third party’s World App instead of their own. Worldcoin is not available in China.

At the time, Worldcoin told The Defiant it estimated that there were only “a few hundred instances” of World ID sales from more than 1.7 million sign-ups, adding that it would implement features to deter such in the future.

However, the problem appears to have persisted despite Worldcoin’s efforts. Last month, Gan Kim Yong, Singapore's deputy prime minister and chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, announced that local authorities were investigating seven individuals suspected of selling Worldcoin accounts.

The price of Worldcoin’s WLD token is up 10.2% alongside a broader crypto market rally, according to The Defiant’s crypto price feeds.