The Worldcoin Foundation made an exciting announcement in a recent blog post, stating that it has made certain components of its iris-scanning Orb software open source and publicly available. This move is aimed at promoting transparency and enhancing privacy claims for the Orb.
The core components of the Orb software can now be accessed on GitHub under a dual license of MIT/Apache 2.0. This release complements the hardware that was previously released by Worldcoin. One of the key elements included in this open-source release is the code responsible for capturing images and securely transferring them to the Orb’s app.
Worldcoin believes that this open-source approach represents a significant step forward in terms of transparency and privacy in the image processing of the Orb. It allows for better scrutiny of the software and enables the verification of privacy claims.
In addition to open-sourcing more of the software for the Orb, Worldcoin has also introduced a new privacy feature called “Personal Custody.” This feature empowers individual users to have complete control over their data. Users can now self-custody their data by signing a data package with the Orb’s private key and encrypting it with their own public key before transferring it to their mobile phone.
This means that only the individual user can decrypt their biometric data, ensuring that they always remain in control. Worldcoin believes that this feature could potentially reduce the number of times users need to visit an Orb to verify their World ID.
However, Worldcoin has faced scrutiny from global regulators over privacy concerns. The Kenyan government, for instance, recently denied a request from the US government to revoke its suspensions of the Worldcoin project. The government has decided to ban Worldcoin activities in the country until it can ensure the safety of its citizens and the integrity of financial details.
Worldcoin has been firm in its stance that it operates lawfully in all locations where it is available and is fully compliant with data collection and transfer laws and regulations. Nevertheless, the Spanish Agency for the Protection of Data has demanded that Worldcoin cease collecting and processing data locally, resulting in a temporary ban on its operations.
Worldcoin was co-founded by Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind the AI-based chatbot ChatGPT. OpenAI itself is currently facing scrutiny for its decision not to open-source its code for its AI models.
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