Worldcoin Addresses Privacy Concerns With New Personal Custody Feature

Controversial eyeball-scanning project Worldcoin announced today that it will offer users the option to maintain control over their personal information.

Dubbed Personal Custody, the implementation means that any data generated on the silver orb will remain on a person’s mobile device. That includes images, metadata, and derived data, empowering users to delete the information if they wish.

“This approach gives you control over the flow of this data,” said the team in today’s press release. Worldcoin calls the new feature an evolution in data custody recommended by privacy experts.

WLD spiked 4% on the news. The project has seen substantial growth in recent months, surpassing 1 million daily users amid a 400% rally since Nov. 2023.

Worldcoin is a blockchain-based digital identity startup that uses physical devices called ‘Orbs’ to scan users’ retinas and establish that they are unique individuals. It is backed by Sam Altman and has been under fire since launch for its unusual sign up process.

Privacy has been widely touted as an impossibility in the digital sphere, notwithstanding Worldcoin’s critiques. And with more than 4.5 million sign-ups, according to Worldcoin’s website, the new approach is welcome – and much needed.

The project also announced today that it is open-sourcing several of its core components, which are now available on Github under the MIT/Apache 2.0 dual license.

Both moves are part of the World ID 2.0 roadmap announced on Dec. 12 – touted by the company as a human passport for the internet.