Worldcoin Hits Regulatory Wall in Indonesia—Data Privacy Clash Halts Crypto Biometrics Play

Indonesia’s financial watchdog pulls emergency brake on Sam Altman’s eyeball-scanning crypto project. Compliance failures trigger full suspension—just as Worldcoin eyed Southeast Asian expansion.

Behind the crackdown: mounting global scrutiny over biometric data collection. Indonesian regulators join Europe and Latin America in questioning Worldcoin’s ’proof-of-personhood’ model. No more free WLD tokens for retina scans—at least until audits pass muster.

Meanwhile, crypto bros shrug: ’Another day, another regulatory tantrum.’ Because who needs financial sovereignty when you’ve got centralized stablecoins pumping 24/7?

Worldcoin’s advancements

This suspension marks another regulatory obstacle for Worldcoin as it attempts to expand its presence worldwide.

Over the past year, the project has faced regulatory scrutiny from authorities in several countries, including Kenya, Germany, and Hong Kong, which have scrutinized its data collection practices.

Despite these setbacks, the platform has recently secured notable growth by expanding its identity verification system into the United States.

The service is now available in six cities, including Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco, where residents can verify their identity as humans through World ID.

Beyond that, World has also announced partnerships with companies like Visa, Tinder, Kalshi, and Morpho to explore new applications for its technology and drive broader adoption.