Sam Altman’s Worldcoin debuts ID verification services in Austria

The Worldcoin Foundation has made its latest expansion within the European Union, introducing its identity verification technology in Austria.

The Worldcoin Foundation is expanding its World ID “globe” verifications to Austria as it continues its efforts to roll out the service across Europe. According to the July 31 announcement, Worldcoin’s globes will now be accessible to those aged 18 and over in various locations throughout Vienna.

The foundation said it offers identity verification services known as “proof of personality” in Germany, adding that the expansion of this service to Austria reflects “ongoing interest and growth in other countries around the world.”

Worldcoin’s proof of identity works by using a device — an “orb” — that scans people’s irises, creating a unique biometric identifier to ensure that each participant is a different person. In exchange for having their irises scanned, people receive a small amount of Worldcoin’s native token, Wordlcoin (WLD), in an approach designed to distribute tokens fairly.

Despite its international expansion efforts, Worldcoin has faced backlash in many jurisdictions due to data privacy concerns. In late May, the Hong Kong Personal Data Privacy Commissioner’s Office ruled that Worldcoin violated the city’s personal data regulations and posed privacy risks related to the way the project handled biometric data.

In a statement to crypto.news, the project expressed disappointment, stating that the organization operates lawfully and fully complies with all relevant data privacy laws. Similarly, Portugal and Spain imposed restrictions on Worldcoin in March due to growing privacy concerns.

Founded in 2019 by Sam Altman, Max Novendstern, and Alex Blania of OpenAI, Worldcoin raised $115 million in a Series C funding round in May 2023. The round was led by Blockchain Capital and included participation from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Bain Capital Crypto, and Distributed Global.