Worldcoin (CRYPTO:WLD), the iris-scanning project co-created by Sam Altman, is shifting its focus to Asia and Latin America, stepping back from Europe, where it has encountered privacy concerns.
Fabian Bodensteiner, managing director of Worldcoin’s European subsidiary, revealed that the company is concentrating on markets like Japan, Malaysia, and Argentina, which are more open to new technologies.
At a recent Sifted summit, Bodensteiner noted that while Europe is not a primary focus, the company still plans launches in countries like Austria and Poland.
Worldcoin’s technology, which offers "proof of human" verification through iris scans, provides users with a digital identity known as World ID.
This tool helps distinguish between human and AI interactions online, aligning with the project's vision of addressing challenges related to digital identity.
However, critics have expressed concern about the large-scale collection of biometric data, fearing that it could lead to surveillance or the selling of data to third parties.
These privacy concerns have led several European countries, including Spain, France, and Germany, to investigate whether Worldcoin complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Bodensteiner highlighted the favorable reception in the Asia-Pacific and Latin American regions, noting that "markets in the Asia-Pacific, like Japan and Malaysia, and in Latin America, such as Argentina, are more receptive to the technology."
In Japan and Malaysia, Worldcoin is collaborating with game publishers to integrate its technology into gaming platforms.
At the time of writing, the Worldcoin price was $1.85.