Argentine Lawmaker Unveils Worldcoin Regulation Bill

Last updated: May 1, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. EDT | 2 minutes of reading

An Argentinian lawmaker has launched a bill proposing to regulate World Currency and its operator in the Latin American nation.

The move is coming in a few days after Worldcoin announced a planned expansion into Mexico. Some Mexican lawmakers have also called for an investigation into the Tools for Humanity operator.

Argentine lawmaker: We must protect consumer rights

By the official media of the Buenos Aires assemblyThe new bill is the brainchild of Buenos Aires MP Carlos Puglelli.

The MP and others claimed it was “unclear” what Worldcoin does with the biometric data it collects using its iris scanning readers.

Puglelli’s bill proposes to “regulate companies that scan people’s irises for the purpose of collecting biometric data.”

The author of the bill noted that authorities in Buenos Aires should be allowed to “exercise control over the activities carried out by companies like Worldcoin.”

He also called for more “transparency” on the fate of the biometric data that “users provide to these companies, in this case in exchange for payment in cryptocurrency”.

Worldcoin has a proven track record in Argentina, where it operates more than 50 iris scanning centers.

Buenos Aires MPs want investigation into Worldcoin

The crypto project has attracted the interest of more Argentine lawmakers.

In mid-April, Romina Braga, another member of parliament from Buenos Aires, called for an official investigation into Worldcoin.

Braga asked Axel Kicillof, governor of the province of Buenos Aires, to launch an investigation. She also expressed several concerns related to privacy and data.

A Worldcoin retina scanner orb. (Source: Steve Jurvetson [CC By 2.0])

This follows a decision by the national data protection agency, which announced the launch of an investigation into Worldcoin in January this year.

Puglelli’s bill calls for the creation of a “regulatory framework” that regulates the collection of biometric data and introduces sanctions for any “abuse” of this data. He explained:

“It is essential to adapt our legislation to meet the challenges posed by the digital age. »

Will the regulator get involved?

The bill, if passed, would see the Provincial Directorate for the Defense of Consumer and User Rights named “supervisor” of Worldcoin.

The Directorate would be responsible for “promoting fair and equitable relationships with consumers in the digital domain, as well as trust and IT security”.

The media Cryptonoticias reported that Worldcoin has been operating in Argentina “for more than a year.”

It adds that “thousands of citizens have transferred their biometric data to the Cayman Islands-based company.”

Will lawmakers get what they want?

Puglelli and Braga complained that “it is not clear” exactly “what Worldcoin is doing with the iris-scanned data.”

The lawmaker warned that Worldcoin “has no legal status in Argentina and acquires biometric data in a way that puts privacy at stake.”

It remains to be seen whether lawmakers’ warnings will dampen public enthusiasm.

However, they do not seem alone. The Buenos Aires Ministry of Production, Science and Technological Innovation says it has also investigated Worldcoin’s data protection credentials.

Mexican lawmakers have also expressed concerns. In Chile, another country with multiple data collection centers, government agents inspected three addresses linked to Worldcoin.

The officers asked the company to submit “additional information” to “ensure that Worldcoin complies with national regulations.”

Data issues have disrupted Worldcoin’s iris scanning efforts in European countries including Spain, Germany and France.

Government agencies in from East Asia nations such as South Korea And Hong Kong have also launched investigations related to Worldcoin.

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