Spain's Administrative Chamber of the National Court on Monday upheld the preventive suspension of data collection by WorldCoin's Tools of Humanity Corporation GMBH (FTH). Reaffirming the decision of the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD), the court noted that the protection of personal data takes precedence over the commercial interests of companies.
On March 7, Tools for Humanity appealed the AEPD's decision to temporarily suspend Worldcoin's collection and processing of personal data. The corporation argued that the AEPD's decision would cause irreparable harm in Spain and worldwide. Furthermore, the company argued that AEPD did not have jurisdiction to make a decision because it was based in Bavaria. Nevertheless, the court ruled that AEPD had jurisdiction over the matter. Furthermore, TFH's claim for irreparable harm failed as the court noted that a favorable judgment would provide sufficient compensation.
AEPD's decision to temporarily ban World Coin's operations follows numerous complaints that World Coin collects and processes data, particularly the data of minors, without sufficient consent. It is. Furthermore, AEPD cited various cases showing that the consent given was not sufficiently informed and could not be withdrawn due to insufficient information. This violated various provisions of the European Union's (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Worldcoin debuted in 2023. Since then, he has registered more than 4 million people in 120 countries. Despite this, World Coin has faced many difficulties since its establishment. Many countries, including Kenya, have temporarily suspended operations, particularly due to privacy and data protection concerns.
WorldCoin has not yet issued a final statement on the court's decision, but called the AEPD decision a “circumvention of EU law” and spreading “inaccurate and misleading claims” about the company. Stated. The company also added that World ID is “the most private and secure solution to assert your humanity in the age of AI.”