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Spain bans company that pays people to have irises scanned

Spain's data protection agency has ordered the temporary suspension of the Worldcoin crypto project that relies on an eye scan to verify a user's identity, after some 400,000 people agreed to have their irises scanned for around €70 each.

Published: 7 March 2024 09:33 CET
Spain bans company that pays people to have irises scanned
Photo: Victor Freita/Unsplash

Worldcoin, set up by OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, began operating last year and provides users with a private digital identity – a “World ID” – after they get their eye’s unique iris pattern scanned.

The project, according to its founders, aims to solve one of the main challenges facing the crypto industry that largely relies on pseudonyms to operate, leaving it vulnerable to spam bots and scams.

Spain’s data protection agency AEPD said it has ordered the suspension after receiving several complaints against the firm denouncing a “lack of information”, the collection of date from minors or the fact that withdrawing consent is not allowed.

“The processing of biometric data … entails high risks for people’s rights, taking into account their sensitive nature,” the statement said, adding the ban has a maximum validity period of three months.

“This decision is based on exceptional circumstances, where it is necessary to adopt precautionary measures aimed at the immediate cessation of the processing activities to prevent the possible transfer of data to third parties and to safeguard the fundamental right to the protection of personal data.”

Worldcoin has raised alarm bells of regulators around the world, who are concerned about the collection, storage and use of personal data.

Kenya in August suspended the project after thousands of people had already participated.

Worldcoin has said the biometric data it collects is either deleted or stored in encrypted form.

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TECH

Spain’s broadband customers to be left without internet as fibre takes over

On Friday April 19th Spain will begin its total migration from ADSL to fibre optic, a measure which will leave 440,000 households in 7,440 municipalities across the country without internet. 

Published: 19 April 2024 11:30 CEST
Spain's broadband customers to be left without internet as fibre takes over

Spain is bidding farewell to broadband internet as it officially and completely moves over to fibre optic internet.

According to Spain’s National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC), there are still 440,000 ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) connections in use in Spain.

The technology was launched in the early 2000s and brought the internet to millions of Spanish homes and businesses, but in recent years it has fallen into disuse due to the relentless advance of fibre optic internet, which offers a more stable and faster internet connection. 

The gradual closure of Spain’s 8,526 copper exchanges, the material that allows ADSL connections in Spain, means that those who haven’t made the changeover already will be left without internet access soon.

Telefónica, which owns Movistar, will start cutting off its ADSL services on April 19th, Vodafone will do so in June and Orange is in the process of notifying its broadband customers. 

Most ADSL users have already been notified via text message, letter, email and fax, but there are still 7,440 municipalities across Spain, mostly rural ones, where broadband is still the primary source of internet.

Most of these are located in Castilla y León (38 percent); Castilla La Mancha (12 percent); the Valencia region (10 percent); Andalusia and Catalonia (9 percent); Madrid and La Rioja (5 percent); Cantabria and Galicia (3 percent), the Canary Islands, Asturias and the Balearic Islands (2 percent) and Murcia (1 percent).

“If you have contracted a copper product with any operator and your home is under the umbrella of one of the plants affected by the closure, you will have to switch to an alternative offer, probably with fibre or radio,” the CNMC has warned. 

“Your new installation will be completely free and you will also be able to keep your current phone number.”

Movistar has assured its broadband customers that if fibre optic internet isn’t an option for them, it will offer satellite or radio frequency internet access to them. 

Affected ADSL users should contact their service providers as soon as possible.

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