Thailand Mandates World ID to Erase 1.2 Million Iris Scans Amid Data Security Concerns

In a significant regulatory move, Thailand’s authorities have instructed Worldcoin’s digital identity initiative, backed by Sam Altman, to permanently delete over 1.2 million iris scans collected from Thai citizens. The directive follows an investigation revealing potential breaches of the country’s Personal Data Protection Act and issues related to the WLD token exchange operations. As a result, Worldcoin has suspended its activities in Thailand to comply with the order and address the cited legal infractions. The Thai government emphasized the importance of safeguarding biometric data, citing risks of unauthorized use and privacy violations. This development underscores growing global scrutiny over data handling practices in emerging digital identity projects, with Thailand taking a firm stance to protect citizen information. Worldcoin has acknowledged the concerns and is cooperating with local regulators to resolve the matter, though the suspension may impact its expansion plans in Southeast Asia. The incident highlights the critical balance between technological innovation and regulatory compliance in the digital economy.