Malaysia Integrates Worldcoin’s Controversial Iris Scanning Technology Into Digital Infrastructure

Malaysia has decided to implement Worldcoin’s controversial iris scanning technology for personal data verification.

This move is a result of a collaboration between the Worldcoin Foundation, Tools for Humanity (TFH), MyEG, and MIMOS Berhad, the Malaysian government’s research arm for application development.

Memorandum of understanding has been signed

These partners have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at improving the verification processes within Malaysia’s digital infrastructure. Worldcoin’s technology, which uses iris image scanning, will serve as a means of confirming the identity of individuals, a process also known as ‘proof of humanity’. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to promote the development of digital identities in Malaysia.

In addition, the collaboration will explore other opportunities, such as joint production of orbs, connecting the World Chain to the Malaysian National Blockchain Infrastructure, and ensuring the open-source availability of Worldcoin’s technology.

TFH will be responsible for providing technical expertise and support for both the Orb and World App, while MyEG will focus on technical integrations and hardware implementations that will support MIMOS.

Worldcoin previously expanded to Europe and Latin America

Worldcoin’s launch in Malaysia follows earlier expansions in Europe and Latin America. However, this global expansion has not been without controversy. For example, the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision launched an investigation into Worldcoin over concerns about its collection of biometric data. Government agencies in other countries, including Spain and Hong Kong, have raised similar concerns, in some cases leading to Worldcoin temporarily halting operations.

Despite these challenges, Worldcoin is actively working to comply with local privacy laws and gain the trust of both users and regulators. In an effort to be more transparent, the company open-sourced its biometric data system in May and gave users the ability to securely delete old iris codes. The investigation in Kenya, which led to a temporary suspension of Worldcoin’s operations through 2023, was concluded in June with no further action.

At the same time, Worldcoin is facing accusations of price manipulation and fraud regarding their own Worldcoin token. Although the company has denied these allegations, it continues to cast a shadow over their global operations.