Worldcoin (WLD) has recently faced increased regulatory scrutiny after halting its operations in Spain. Its developer, Tools For Humanity (TFH), has agreed to extend an operational pause in the country as part of an ongoing investigation into the company’s data collection and processing.
On Thursday, the project revealed that a recent survey showed that almost 90% of users in Spain support Worldcoin’s return to the country.
87% of Spanish users support the return of Worldcoin
This week, Tools For Humanity announced that it will voluntarily suspend its operations in Spain until the end of the year. The move would enable the Bayerische Landesamt für Datenschutzufsicht (BayLDA) to complete an audit of the company’s compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
TFH has committed to extending the country’s operational pause until the end of 2024 or until the end of the BayLDA consultation process. In March, the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) issued a precautionary measure to stop the collection and processing of personal data related to the Worldcoin project.
On June 6, TFH released the results of a 24-hour study conducted in delayed May. Through the World ID app, TFH asked 21,000 verified World ID holders several questions related to Worldcoin, proof of humanity, biometrics and data privacy collection.
According to the survey, 3 out of 4 respondents believed that Worldcoin could “help create a safer and more secure Internet.” 73% of respondents gave a positive answer, and another 20% said they were not sure.
82% of respondents agreed that technologies “such as Worldcoin/World ID are important to distinguish humans from bots on the Internet,” while 13% said they were unsure. Moreover, 81% of respondents responded that they feel safe and sound using Worldcoin, and 87% “strongly support the return of Worldcoin operations in the country.”
Proof of Humaness Survey in Spain. Source: Worldcoin
Thomas Scott, CEO of TFH, expressed his views on the survey and compliance in Spain, stating:
Although it is encouraging that in a recent survey of World ID users in Spain, over 80% of 21,000 respondents said they believed technologies such as World ID were essential in distinguishing bots from humans on the Internet, and almost 90% of them supports the assumptions of the return to Spain project, we voluntarily proposed extending the suspension of orb operations in the country.
Global compliance and adoption
In the announcement, TFH highlighted the feedback it received around the world. Recent surveys in Peru, Mexico and Colombia show that approximately 80% of respondents support proof of humanity to combat online fraud and identity theft.
The findings point to growing concerns about bots, fraud and disinformation online. Those surveyed seem to believe that technology that proves humanity on the Internet is “essential” for the future. Additionally, they said they feel safer consuming content that they know is human-generated and want technology to highlight it.
The global scope of the Worldcoin project has also attracted scrutiny around the world. As Bitcoinist reports, the Hong Kong Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) has sent Worldcoin an enforcement notice asking it to cease operations.
Law enforcement authorities have concluded an investigation initiated by the PCPD in January over “threats to the privacy of personal information.” Similarly, the project has faced regulatory scrutiny in countries such as Germany, Kenya and France.
At the time of writing, WLD is down 2.3% and 4.3% on the daily and weekly basis, respectively.
WLD's price performance in the one-week chart. Source: WLDUSDT on TradingView
Featured image from Unsplash.com, chart from TradingView.com
