The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) has issued a directive to Tools for Humanity Corporation instructing them to cease the collection and processing of personal data within Spain in relation to their Worldcoin initiative. This regulatory action is a precautionary step as investigations by the Bavarian data protection authority, Bayerisches Landesamt für Datenschutzaufsicht (BayLDA), are nearing finalization.
In compliance with the AEPD's directive under Article 66.1 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Tools for Humanity Corporation has suspended its operations in Spain until the conclusion of 2024 or until BayLDA renders a definitive decision on the company's data handling practices. The primary objective of the AEPD's precautionary action is to safeguard the rights and freedoms of individuals with a vested interest.
In response to the provisional measures by the AEPD, Tools for Humanity Corporation has announced operational adjustments, including the implementation of age verification protocols and the provision for users to delete iris codes. The AEPD is collaborating with BayLDA, the primary authority responsible for data processing, while the AEPD assumes the role of the interested authority as mandated by the GDPR.
Furthermore, investigations are ongoing in both Spain and Germany, with recent reports of the company facing expulsion from Hong Kong due to breaches of regulations. The investigation in Hong Kong revealed that Worldcoin had violated the Privacy Ordinance by failing to clarify whether the submission of personal data by customers was mandatory. Worldcoin's popularity is on the rise, attracting more users who are willingly offering their information to receive WLD tokens.
At the current moment, WLD is trading at $4.83, reflecting a 0.15% decline in the last 24 hours, as per data on CoinMarketCap. The company's strategic plans include expanding its presence in the Web3 ecosystem and enhancing its token supply in the future, having recently introduced its blockchain network, World Chain, in April 2024.
