Thailand’s PDPC orders Altman's World to delete biometric data of 1.2 million users

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman-backed blockchain project World Network, which rebranded from Worldcoin in mid-October, has been ordered by Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) to stop collecting biometric data from local residents and delete information on 1.2 million users.

According to the PDPC, World Network was collecting information from Thais in violation of the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). Pol Col Suraphong Plengkham, secretary-general of the PDPC, said the orders were issued by the committee’s expert panel to prevent data leakage and the illegal use of sensitive personal information. 

Data protection agencies and authorities found that World’s practice of exchanging crypto tokens for iris scans violated Thai law because they were allegedly transferred or sold to third parties.

World in Thailand’s government crosshairs for data protection violations

The World Network describes itself as a digital identity project developed by Tools for Humanity (TFH), with Altman listed among its investors. World ID, its core service, uses iris scans to create a digital credential that proves an individual is human. 

Those who verify their identity through one of the project’s Orb scanners receive World (WLD) tokens as an incentive. According to company records shared by news outlet the Bangkok post, Thailand hosted 102 Orb locations and was among World Network’s largest markets in Asia.

On Monday, TFH’s Thailand arm (TIDC) confirmed that it has paused human verification services in compliance with the PDPC orders. However, the company insists the orders were unfair as it has been operating transparently and in line with the regulations of the jurisdiction.

A source familiar with TFH told The Bangkok Post that authorities did not consult users before ordering the deletion of their data. Many participants earn income from iris scanning, receiving a total of 52 WLD tokens distributed monthly.

According to Coingecko data, one WLD token is currently valued at around $0.63 or 20 Thai baht at the time of this reporting. “By deleting 1.2 million users’ data, they will lose around one billion baht,” the source said.

Thai government raided World’s offices prior to the order 

The PDPC’s orders follow a legal action in late October, which saw Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) raid a Worldcoin exchange service next to a biometric registration site. 

The SEC claimed the operation constituted an unlicensed digital asset business, and several World employees were arrested as suspects in the investigations.

Under Thailand’s Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses B.E. 2561 (2018), World is a digital asset business operator, but regulators alleged it did not have a license to operate. Violations carry penalties of up to five years in prison and fines of 500,000 baht (approximately $15,318), with additional daily fines of 10,000 baht if operations continue.

Opas Cherdpunt, Chief Executive of M Vision Plc, which hosts Orb devices, said he is gathering 500 affected individuals to file a petition with the Central Administrative Court to counter the orders to delete iris data. 

However, Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob believes even though the government supports advanced technology in human identity verification, “all operations must comply with personal data protection laws.”

Spain, Kenya, Colombia, Brazil, among countries that banned World 

Thailand has not explicitly banned the operations of the World Network, but there are currently 8 nations that have completely halted its existence within their borders. Just three weeks ago, Colombia’s competition regulator ordered the “immediate and permanent” closure of World for violating data protection laws after the company opened its largest physical location in Bogotá. 

The Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC) also mandated the deletion of sensitive personal data, iris templates, and other records stored on the company’s servers.

Other countries like Spain, Germany, and Indonesia were among the first to chase the blockchain platform due to a lack of transparency, data collection from minors, and users’ inability to withdraw consent. 

In January, Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) issued a blanket ban, saying it would impose daily fines of 50,000 Brazilian reais, roughly $8,800 if the operations continued. Kenya had already suspended World in 2023, but its High Court declared operations illegal in May this year, Cryptopolitan reported. 

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