Portugal’s data regulator CNPD has ordered Worldcoin to stop collecting biometric data for 90 days, as the company raised privacy concerns in multiple countries. Following this announcement, CNPD, Portugal’s data regulator, made this decision as Worldcoin’s initiative represented a high risk to citizens and customers’ data protection rights, which justified urgent intervention in order to prevent serious harm.

Worldcoin was developed in order to encourage clients to have their faces scanned by its orb devices, in exchange for the possibility to access digital ID and free cryptocurrency products. According to the CNPD, multiple individuals in 120 countries around the world have signed up, including 300,000 users in the region of Portugal. More information on the announcement The CNPD regulator mentioned that it has received several complaints in the last month about the process of unauthorised collection of data from minors, as well as deficiencies in the overall information that was provided to the data subjects and the impossibility of erasing the information or withdrawing the consent.

According to Reuters, Worldcoin mentioned that the process of collecting data was fully compliant with all laws and regulatory requirements that were governing the collection, as well as the procedure of transferring biometric data. In addition, Worldcoin also said that the firm began a transition to `Personal Custody` in March, which is expected to give customers the possibility to have control over their data, such as deletion and any future use. The report from the Portugal data regulator represents the first official comment from the company, which included reports of underage sign-ups in the country, for which CNPD is working to address all instances.

At the same time, the CNPD said that stopping data collection is a temporary solution, while it also carried out additional due diligence and analysed complaints during an investigation producer. Worldcoin was designed in order to develop an identity and financial network which is expected to be necessary for customers to prove that they are who they claim to be. The company is currently under investigation in various countries and has drawn criticism from several private campaigners over the process of collection of personal data.

The CNPD decision was set on the fact that the Worldcoin Foundation is a data controller for biometric data. .