Early adopters in Mexico lend their eyes to global biometric project

Record ID: 1736893

  • Title: Early adopters in Mexico lend their eyes to global biometric project
  • Date: 8th August 2023
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) WORLDCOIN USER, JOSE INCERA, SAYING (SOUNDBITE RUNS OVER SHOT OF INCERA’S MOBILE PHONE SCREEN SHOWING WALLET): “I signed up. I haven’t been authenticated yet. This is the next step. At the moment of sign-up, I accepted a 53.93-dollar grant, which is Worldcoin (cryptocurrency). Worldcoin is currently valued at two dollars. Here you can track the movement, which depends on how many people join (the Worldcoin project) and the number of transactions.”
  • Embargoed: 22nd August 2023 14:19
  • Keywords: AI Chatgpt Code Crypto Iris Mexico Privacy Technology Worldcoin
  • Location: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO & SAN FRANCISCO, UNITED STATES
  • City: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO & SAN FRANCISCO, UNITED STATES
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,South America / Central America,North America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA002078528072023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Eager early adopters recently descended upon a Mexico City cafe where their eyes were scanned by a futuristic sphere, part of an ambitious project that ultimately seeks to create a unique digital identification for everyone on the planet.
    Mexico is one of nearly three dozen countries where participants are allowing the sphere, outfitted with cameras and dubbed an orb, to scan their iris. The project's goal is to distinguish people from bots online, while doling out a cryptocurrency bonus as a incentive to participate.
    The so-called Worldcoin project is a biometric verification tool led by Sam Altman, the chief executive of Open AI, and the crypto company he co-founded, Tools for Humanity.
    In a video interview, Sam Sadle, the public policy chief at Tools for Humanity, sought to calm worries over the project's use of personal data.
    After the orb scanner captures each user's iris, it converts the image into a unique numerical code called an iris code, which Sadle stressed can only be used to prove the user's identity.
    But Latin America policy analyst at digital rights group Access Now, Agneris Sampieri, warned gaps in Worldcoin’s privacy notice and the dangers of giving one’s biometric data could create security risks.
    (Production: Anna Portella)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains computer game or software screenshots. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing this clip.
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