Worldcoin’s Wild Ride: Privacy Concerns and a New ID in the Philippines! 😱

So, guess what? World Network has decided to waltz into the Philippines, a country that practically invented social media! 🎉

On February 17, Worldcoin (WLD) announced that soon, Filipinos will be able to access World ID. Yes, that’s right! A service that’s already been embraced by over 23 million people worldwide. Because who doesn’t want a safe and anonymous way to verify their online identity? It’s like a digital cloak of invisibility, but with more paperwork! 🕵️‍♀️

Initially, it was just a little sneak peek in Bulacan, but now it’s going nationwide! The World ID Orb verifications are here to save the day from the evil forces of online fraud, deepfakes, and misleading information. Because nothing says “I’m human” like a biometric scan, right? 🤖

And let’s be real, this is crucial in the Philippines, where fraud linked to deepfakes skyrocketed by 4,500% between 2022 and 2023. I mean, who knew deepfakes were the new “it” thing? With the Philippines being the social media capital of the world, it’s like World Network is throwing a party and everyone’s invited! 🎊

But hold your horses! 🚨 Despite the shiny promises, World Network has stirred up a bit of a hornet’s nest with privacy concerns. The Kenyan government was the first to hit the brakes in 2023, citing issues with informed consent and data usage. And they’re not alone! Legal challenges have popped up in France, Portugal, Spain, Hong Kong, Brazil, and South Korea. Talk about a global tour! 🌍

Worldcoin’s shady practices, like its sneaky registration processes in Kenya and Indonesia, have been called out by the MIT Technology Review. They’re worried that collecting sensitive biometric data could lead to some serious privacy breaches. Yikes! 😬

But don’t worry, World Network claims they’ve got it all under control! They say they can keep your biometric data safe on your device using fancy privacy tech like zero-knowledge proofs. They even rebranded in October 2024, promising to play nice with data protection laws. But let’s be honest, the concerns are still lurking around like that one friend who never leaves the party. 🍷

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2025-02-17 10:26