Indonesia Suspends Worldcoin Project
Indonesian authorities have suspended Worldcoin, the cryptocurrency project co-founded by OpenAI chief Sam Altman, which involves eyeball-scanning technology and is under scrutiny in several countries.
Since its launch in 2023, Worldcoin has scanned the irises of millions to create a “World ID,” verifying humanity and enabling transactions. Although Worldcoin claims the data is encrypted and secure, concerns about personal data usage have arisen in places like Hong Kong, Kenya, Spain, and Portugal.
Indonesia announced the suspension on May 4 after public reports of suspicious activities on the platform, according to a communications and digital ministry official.
“This suspension is a preventive measure to protect the public,” said Alexander Sabar, the ministry’s director general for digital space supervision. The government also plans to summon Worldcoin’s local operators, PT Terang Bulan Abadi and PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara, for clarification on their activities.
