4 weeks ago
Colombia’s Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) has initiated ceremonial proceedings against Worldcoin Foundation and Tools for Humanity implicit alleged violations of the country’s idiosyncratic information extortion regulations.
According to the Aug. 21 announcement, the regulatory body, acting nether its mandate to safeguard idiosyncratic data, issued the charges connected Aug. 16.
Regulatory probe
The SIC’s probe centers connected whether the organizations breached Colombian laws governing the postulation and processing of delicate idiosyncratic data.
The probe aims to find if Worldcoin Foundation and Tools for Humanity failed to get explicit and informed consent from individuals for the postulation of their information and whether they neglected to instrumentality capable policies for information attraction and security.
The probe volition besides analyse whether the companies provided capable mechanisms for addressing complaints and consultations from information subjects.
Should the allegations beryllium substantiated, the SIC could enforce terrible penalties, including fines of up to 2,000x the monthly minimum wage, the suspension of related activities for up to six months, oregon the impermanent oregon imperishable cessation of operations.
The SIC emphasized its committedness to protecting citizens’ cardinal rights and urged the nationalist to beryllium vigilant successful safeguarding their idiosyncratic information. The announcement of charges is presently nether review, and the progressive parties person been notified. The determination does not let for appeal.
The ongoing probe highlights the expanding scrutiny of tech companies’ information practices, particularly arsenic they grow operations globally. Worldcoin, which aims to make a planetary integer individuality strategy utilizing biometric data, has faced akin regulatory challenges successful different jurisdictions, raising questions astir the adequacy of its information extortion measures.
String of challenges
Worldcoin, co-founded by Sam Altman, has faced regulatory scrutiny worldwide owed to its program to make a planetary integer individuality strategy utilizing biometric data.
The task archetypal came nether occurrence successful Kenya implicit concerns related to information extortion laws, which yet led to authorities suspending its operations successful August 2023. The state aboriginal ended its probe into the task without alleging immoderate wrongdoing successful June.
European authorities person besides been investigating the task since past twelvemonth for imaginable violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Germany’s Bavarian State Office is probing Worldcoin’s compliance with consent and information processing standards, portion France’s CNIL is investigating whether its methods align with nationalist privateness laws.
Spain has extended the prohibition connected Worldcoin’s operations successful the state until the extremity of this year, portion Hong Kong recently banned its information postulation implicit privateness usurpation concerns. Portugal has besides antecedently suspended Worldcoin’s operations for a three-month period.
Meanwhile, Argentina has charged the task with violating user laws and is seeking $1.2 cardinal successful fines.
The station Worldcoin nether occurrence successful Colombia implicit imaginable information extortion lapses appeared archetypal connected CryptoSlate.
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