China warns that Worldcoin-style iris scans pose a national security threat | CoinDesk JAPAN

• The Chinese Ministry of State Security has issued a warning about the improper use of biometric data by foreign companies. In particular, they are targeting companies that provide cryptocurrency through iris scans.
• This warning seems to refer to the project "Worldcoin," co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Worldcoin is under investigation by regulators in Germany, France, and Kenya.
• Concerns are growing regarding the transfer of biometric data overseas, the potential for privacy violations, and the national security risks associated with such actions.

The Chinese Ministry of State Security has warned that the misuse of biometric data poses a threat to national security, identifying foreign companies that offer cryptocurrency as a reward for iris scans. This seems to be mentioned in a post on their official WeChat account regarding Worldcoin.

The National Security Department explained in a post about a case involving a foreign company that was offering cryptocurrency as a reward by scanning the irises of users around the world.

This company has raised concerns about both personal data privacy and national security because it subsequently transferred biometric data overseas. Although the company name has not been disclosed, this description closely resembles Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency project co-founded by OpenAI's Sam Altman. Worldcoin aims to build a global ID network by exchanging iris scans for tokens.

As reported earlier by CoinDesk, this project has already faced pushback from regulators in Germany, France, and Kenya, raising concerns about informed consent, data storage, and the potential for surveillance.

The recommendation from the Chinese government goes further, citing other instances where stolen data has allegedly been used by foreign intelligence agencies to create deepfake identities, allowing spies to infiltrate secure locations.

According to CoinDesk data, the Worldcoin WLD token has dropped by 4% and is trading at 93 cents.