Worldcoin developer Tools for Humanity has filed a lawsuit to appeal Spain’s recent ban on its data collection and usage within the country for three months.
Worldcoin said in a March 6 blog post that Spain’s regulators circumvented the regular process around EU GDPR rules by issuing their order, leaving it no choice but to file a lawsuit.
Worldcoin Foundation and Tools for Humanity data protection officer Jannick Preiwisch said the Spanish regulators’ claims are inaccurate and it is fully compliant with EU’s data protection laws. He added:
“It is … unfortunate that [Spanish regulators] are spreading inaccurate and misleading claims about our technology globally after our efforts to provide them with an accurate view of Worldcoin and World ID have gone unanswered for months.”
Worldcoin otherwise said that it operates lawfully in all available locations and works under the close supervision of local authorities.
Specifically, it said that it regularly responded to GDPR requests from the Bavarian Data Protection Authority (BayLDA), which is responsible for EU-wide GDPR compliance, over the past several months and continues to engage with the regulator.
Spain concerned over ‘irreparable damage’
Spain’s Data Protection Agency (AEPD) issued a three-month ban on Worldcoin’s activities on March 6 after receiving complaints from minors who were concerned about data privacy and the inability to withdraw consent.
The complaints also alleged that Worldcoin had not provided enough information to assure people their data would be protected properly. Authorities are concerned that the current practices could lead to “irreparable damage.”
Furthermore, the AEPD said Worldcoin’s handling of sensitive biometric data requires special protection. It called the current action a precautionary measure under exceptional circumstances.
Spain’s order specifically targeted Tools for Humanity, which was co-founded by Sam Altman and is the original developer of the open-source Worldcoin project.
Worldcoin’s main page identifies the Worldcoin Foundation as its steward but describes Tools for Humanity advisors to and operators of the Worldcoin app. As such, both the lawsuit and the appeal concern Worldcoin quite directly.
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