Worldcoin Has Stopped Its Services: India, Brazil, and France

Worldcoin has reportedly deactivated its offline orb verification feature for users in three markets: India, Brazil, and France, according to a report by Moneycontrol on December 21.

Worldcoin Has Stopped Its Services: India, Brazil, and France

Designed as a five-pound chromatic helmet that scans individuals’ eyeballs for identity verification, the Orb was created by Worldcoin as a means of onboarding residents in regions where traditional identification may be less accessible.

To incentivize the offline onboarding process, the company initially rewarded local Orb operators with USDC. However, starting in November, Worldcoin shifted to offering rewards in its native token, WLD.

Moneycontrol reveals that Worldcoin quietly halted the orb verification process in India “3-4 months ago,” despite reported crowds queuing for Orb operators in some parts of the country. Tools for Humanity, the foundation overseeing Worldcoin, clarified that the Orb initiative was always intended as a “limited-time access” program in India, France, and Brazil.

Iris Scanning Discontinued by Worldcoin in India, Brazil, and France

The onboarding process, which involves the collection of sensitive data like iris scans, has thrust Worldcoin into the midst of several public controversies. Critics, including those skeptical of the project led by OpenAI founder Sam Altman, have raised ethical concerns, branding it as potentially paving the way for a ‘dystopian nightmare.’

Regulators have not been immune to skepticism. German financial authorities initiated an investigation into Worldcoin in 2022, while the United Kingdom’s data regulatory body hinted at potential inquiries shortly after the project’s launch. Kenya went a step further by outright banning Worldcoin’s activities within its borders.