David Edwards
Prominent venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz and Bain Capital Crypto have contributed $135 million to World, the contentious digital identity business headed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The investment will be used to assist the growth of the iris-scanning orb infrastructure both domestically and abroad.
In a statement, the business affirmed its intentions to expand internationally and start operations in six American locations. Currently, more than 12.5 million people in more than 160 jurisdictions have been issued a World ID, which is a digital identity that is validated using biometric information.
In order to validate human identification in digital interactions, the initiative aims to create “proof of personhood” through iris scans. Nonetheless, World encounters increasing regulatory opposition and scrutiny. Citing infractions pertaining to user permission and data privacy, authorities in Brazil, Germany, and Indonesia have all taken action against the corporation.
In January 2025, Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) suspended the practice, claiming that providing bitcoin as a reward for the acquisition of biometric data compromises informed consent. World now faces fines of 50,000 Brazilian reais ($8,851) each day if it continues to operate in the country after that verdict was upheld in March.
In May, Indonesia followed suit, suspending World’s business license through the Ministry of Communications and Digital. Regulators claim that several World subsidiaries violated national electronic system operator regulations by neglecting to register as providers of digital asset services. There is an investigation going on.
In Europe, the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision in Germany required that World adhere to EU data regulations, which include giving users simple ways to remove their biometric information from the system. Concerns about centralized digital ID systems and the morality of monetizing biometric data are becoming more widespread worldwide, as evidenced by this regulatory backlash.
