Deception, Exploited Workers, and Cash Handouts: How Worldcoin Recruited Its First Half a Million Test Users (technologyreview.com) 10
The startup promises a fairly-distributed, cryptocurrency-based universal basic income. So far all it's done is build a biometric database from the bodies of the poor. MIT Technology Review reports: On a sunny morning last December, Iyus Ruswandi, a 35-year-old furniture maker in the village of Gunungguruh, Indonesia, was woken up early by his mother. A technology company was holding some kind of "social assistance giveaway" at the local Islamic elementary school, she said, and she urged him to go. Ruswandi joined a long line of residents, mostly women, some of whom had been waiting since 6 a.m. In the pandemic-battered economy, any kind of assistance was welcome. At the front of the line, representatives of Worldcoin Indonesia were collecting emails and phone numbers, or aiming a futuristic metal orb at villagers' faces to scan their irises and other biometric data. Village officials were also on site, passing out numbered tickets to the waiting residents to help keep order. Ruswandi asked a Worldcoin representative what charity this was but learned nothing new: as his mother said, they were giving away money.
Gunungguruh was not alone in receiving a visit from Worldcoin. In villages across West Java, Indonesia -- as well as college campuses, metro stops, markets, and urban centers in two dozen countries, most of them in the developing world -- Worldcoin representatives were showing up for a day or two and collecting biometric data. In return they were known to offer everything from free cash (often local currency as well as Worldcoin tokens) to Airpods to promises of future wealth. In some cases they also made payments to local government officials. What they were not providing was much information on their real intentions. This left many, including Ruswandi, perplexed: What was Worldcoin doing with all these iris scans?
To answer that question, and better understand Worldcoin's registration and distribution process, MIT Technology Review interviewed over 35 individuals in six countries -- Indonesia, Kenya, Sudan, Ghana, Chile, and Norway -- who either worked for or on behalf of Worldcoin, had been scanned, or were unsuccessfully recruited to participate. We observed scans at a registration event in Indonesia, read conversations on social media and in mobile chat groups, and consulted reviews of Worldcoin's wallet in the Google Play and Apple stores. We interviewed Worldcoin CEO Alex Blania, and submitted to the company a detailed list of reporting findings and questions for comment. Our investigation revealed wide gaps between Worldcoin's public messaging, which focused on protecting privacy, and what users experienced. We found that the company's representatives used deceptive marketing practices, collected more personal data than it acknowledged, and failed to obtain meaningful informed consent. These practices may violate the European Union's General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) -- a likelihood that the company's own data consent policy acknowledged and asked users to accept -- as well as local laws.
Gunungguruh was not alone in receiving a visit from Worldcoin. In villages across West Java, Indonesia -- as well as college campuses, metro stops, markets, and urban centers in two dozen countries, most of them in the developing world -- Worldcoin representatives were showing up for a day or two and collecting biometric data. In return they were known to offer everything from free cash (often local currency as well as Worldcoin tokens) to Airpods to promises of future wealth. In some cases they also made payments to local government officials. What they were not providing was much information on their real intentions. This left many, including Ruswandi, perplexed: What was Worldcoin doing with all these iris scans?
To answer that question, and better understand Worldcoin's registration and distribution process, MIT Technology Review interviewed over 35 individuals in six countries -- Indonesia, Kenya, Sudan, Ghana, Chile, and Norway -- who either worked for or on behalf of Worldcoin, had been scanned, or were unsuccessfully recruited to participate. We observed scans at a registration event in Indonesia, read conversations on social media and in mobile chat groups, and consulted reviews of Worldcoin's wallet in the Google Play and Apple stores. We interviewed Worldcoin CEO Alex Blania, and submitted to the company a detailed list of reporting findings and questions for comment. Our investigation revealed wide gaps between Worldcoin's public messaging, which focused on protecting privacy, and what users experienced. We found that the company's representatives used deceptive marketing practices, collected more personal data than it acknowledged, and failed to obtain meaningful informed consent. These practices may violate the European Union's General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) -- a likelihood that the company's own data consent policy acknowledged and asked users to accept -- as well as local laws.
Company lies & screws individuals (Score:2)
What is new ? Unfortunately.
This is done by many, from Google & facebook downwards. There might be a bit of anguished hand wringing but nothing will be done.
The age of honour & honesty in business is long gone - if there was ever a time that it existed.
Slight difference (Score:2)
"lies and screws individuals"
Google tells you quite clearly they are tracking you.
They provide documentation with a lot of details if you care to read it. You can click the button to download all of the information they've collected about you.
If you want to say collecting info for targeting ads is "screwing people", I won't argue with you. There's no lying about it - it's pretty clear.
When you have a company with "coin" in the name, the crypto bros will be lying and scamming.
Re: (Score:2)
[q]Google tells you quite clearly they are tracking you.[/q]
Define 'clearly'...
LOL another UBI scheme (Score:1)
Slashdot loves articles about UBI. Ain't happening. Just stop already. If this is news for nerds, where are the economics nerds? They would have debunked this stupid AIPocolypse prophecy a long time ago.
Where is Worldcoin based? (Score:1, Interesting)
--snip-- 35 individuals in six countries -- Indonesia, Kenya, Sudan, Ghana, Chile, and Norway
--snip-- These practices may violate the European Union's General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) -- a likelihood that the company's own data consent policy acknowledged
Those countries aren't in the EU, so why would anyone think EU regulations apply?
Re:Where is Worldcoin based? (Score:4, Informative)
Norway is not in the EU, but it is in the EEA, and the EU's data protection laws apply to Norway.
TFS is useless, once again (Score:2)
After slogging thru the tedious and uninformative Summary I have some questions.
What is Worldcoin? What do they offer besides promises and trinkets? Why are they apparently documenting the identities of countless poor people? Who invested in this, who runs it and under what jurisdiction? Once their mysterious plan succeeds, who will bank the profits?
I have more questions but really, after reading that exhausting summary I haven't a single useful bit of information. Cute story about the Indonesian furniture
A shit-ton of cynicism (Score:2)
What if the attempt to do something to reduce global inequity is genuine.
Why is there no discussion of the merits of the scheme, or constructive suggestions for ways it could improve?
Should it not be given a chance before being shat upon by the peanut gallery?