A court has denied the injunction filed by Worldcoin against the local Spanish regulator’s order to cease data collection in the country. The company will have to freeze its operations in Spain for the next three months.
The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) issued a three-month provisional injunction against Worldcoin data collection in the country on March 6.
During this time, the AEPD plans to investigate complaints that Worldcoin purportedly collected information from minors and that users in Spain cannot withdraw consent.
However, Worldcoin refuted the accusations. The organization issued a statement to Cointelegraph that accused the AEPD of “eluding EU law by disseminating false and misleading claims” and ignoring its letters for months.
After halting its operations in Spain on March 6, Tools for Humanity, the parent company of Worldcoin, filed a lawsuit against the AEPD’s order on the same day. The Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the Superior Court of Justice of Spain witnessed a motion to suspend the regulator’s order.
Consistent with “applicable European Union legislation,” including the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Worldcoin representatives assert that the AEPD’s prohibition is illegitimate.
As per a TechCrunch report, the Supreme Court of Spain denied Worldcoin’s injunction request on March 11, reiterating that “protection of public interest” took precedence. In addition, the court has cast doubt on the integrity of Worldcoin’s disclosures regarding the consent of its data donors.
Spain is not the initial jurisdiction in which Worldcoin has encountered regulatory scrutiny. Announcing an investigation into the company’s local operations in January 2024, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) of Hong Kong cited “serious risks to personal data privacy.” Before that, Kenya and India had suspended Worldcoin services.
The contentious nature of Worldcoin arises from its implementation of biometric scanning devices referred to as “orbs.” Worldcoin subscribers enroll by installing an application. They are subsequently guided to the closest establishment, housing an orb, where they must present themselves for an ocular scan.
After being validated, user identities are associated with their distinct biometric data, which can be independently verified through the services provided by Worldcoin. Those registering for the service and linking their World App accounts are reimbursed with the Worldcoin WLD token
