Colombia Halts World Digital ID Project Due to Data Breaches

Published Date : 10/21/2025 

The Colombian competition regulator has ordered the immediate closure of the digital identity project World due to violations of data protection laws. Despite opening its largest store in Bogotá recently, the company must now cease all data collection and processing activities in the country. 

The competition regulator of Colombia has ordered the immediate and permanent closure of the digital identity project World due to data protection law violations. This decision comes less than two months after the company opened its largest brick-and-mortar store in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia.

World Foundation and Tools for Humanity have been prohibited from collecting personal information from Colombians and carrying out any personal data processing in the country. The Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio, SIC) has also ordered the firm to immediately delete sensitive personal data, codes, and iris biometric templates stored in its repositories or servers.

According to September data, nearly two million users have registered with World in Colombia by submitting their iris biometrics through the firm’s Orb devices. The decision was made after an investigation by the SIC’s Personal Data Protection Investigation Directorate. The investigation concluded that World conditioned the will of data subjects by offering financial incentives without providing transparent information about the specific purposes of the processing. Additionally, iris images were subjected to various forms of processing without clearly informing the data subjects, according to the SIC.

The authority identifies five violations of the Personal Data Protection Law, known as Law 1581 of 2012. The company, co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has been facing similar complaints from regulators around the world. Earlier this month, the project’s San Francisco-based developer, Tools for Humanity, received a cease and desist order from the Philippine government. Its operations are also being examined by a parliamentary commission in Brazil.

The news also comes amid increased friction between Latin American countries and President Donald Trump’s administration. In September, the U.S. government accused Bogotá of being complicit in illicit drug trade, with Trump promising to raise tariffs and stop aid to Colombia last weekend.

In its response to SIC, World argues that the evaluation results are incomplete, as they are based on outdated policies and technologies. The company claims it does not store biometric data and that user consent is confirmed multiple times. 'World is an innovative technological development that helps protect Colombians from scams, identity theft, and fraud driven by artificial intelligence,' says the company’s statement, published by Forbes.

The company also claims that the Worldcoin token, which users can receive after sign-up, is optional and completely separate from the verification process. World is committed to collaborating with SIC on clearing up how its technology works, according to the statement. The company has also promised to appeal the decision of the Philippine National Privacy Commission (NPC) to stop collecting and processing the biometric data of Filipinos.

World emphasizes that its system processes all biometric images locally and deletes them within seconds. The network uses cryptography to analyze the images and prove that the user is human (proof-of-personhood, PoP) and has not signed up for the network previously. The process creates an anonymized user, which makes World ID a 'bit of a misnomer,' according to the firm. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the main reason for the shutdown of World in Colombia?

A: The main reason for the shutdown is the violation of data protection laws, specifically conditioning the will of data subjects by offering financial incentives without providing transparent information about the specific purposes of the processing.

Q: How many users have registered with World in Colombia?

A: Nearly two million users have registered with World in Colombia by submitting their iris biometrics through the firm’s Orb devices.

Q: What has World claimed in response to the SIC's decision?

A: World claims that the evaluation results are incomplete, as they are based on outdated policies and technologies. The company also states that it does not store biometric data and that user consent is confirmed multiple times.

Q: What additional actions is World taking regarding the SIC's decision?

A: World has promised to appeal the decision of the Philippine National Privacy Commission (NPC) to stop collecting and processing the biometric data of Filipinos. The company also emphasizes that its system processes all biometric images locally and deletes them within seconds.

Q: What is the role of Tools for Humanity in this project?

A: Tools for Humanity is the San Francisco-based developer of the World project. They have been receiving similar complaints from regulators around the world and are currently under examination by a parliamentary commission in Brazil. 

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