World Network
Last changed 2026-11-10 · Re-researched — First published by the investigator agent. Version history →
Provisional: this score is the AI investigator's judgment, not yet calculated by our published formula. Treat it as indicative. How scoring works →
anchored·2ogzGh…Qy1eSummary
World Network (formerly Worldcoin, operated by Tools for Humanity and co-founded by Sam Altman, Alex Blania and Max Novendstern) is a biometric digital-identity and cryptocurrency project that scans users' irises with a device called the Orb to issue a 'World ID' and distribute WLD tokens. The project has been suspended, investigated, fined, or ordered to halt data collection by regulators in Hong Kong, Kenya, Spain, the Philippines and elsewhere over biometric privacy practices, and researchers and regulators have separately documented a black market in verified World ID credentials. The domain world.xyz was researched as the entity name provided; publicly available evidence identifies the subject's primary official domains as world.org and the legacy worldcoin.org, and no independent verifiable reporting tying world.xyz specifically to this project (or to any separate scam) was found.
Connected Entities
1 entityNo connected entities recorded yet — this investigation is not currently linked to any other page in the index.
Timeline(10 events)
2019
Tools for Humanity is founded by Sam Altman, Max Novendstern and Alex Blania, later building the Worldcoin/World ID project.
Multiple news reportsJuly 2023
Worldcoin officially launches, offering iris-scan verification (World ID) and WLD token distribution.
Gulf News2 August 2023
Kenya's Interior Ministry suspends Worldcoin's local operations over security, legality and data-protection concerns.
TechCrunch2023
France's CNIL and the UK's Information Commissioner's Office open investigations into Worldcoin's data practices.
CointelegraphJanuary 2024
Hong Kong's Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data begins an investigation into Worldcoin's local data-collection practices, including undercover site visits.
Hong Kong Free Press22 May 2024
Hong Kong PCPD issues enforcement notice ordering Worldcoin to halt iris/face data collection in the city.
Hong Kong Free Press / BiometricUpdate2024
World reportedly ceases operations in Spain following a dispute with Spain's data protection authority.
Cointelegraph2025
Reports emerge of verified World ID accounts being sold for $5-$15 on secondary markets, flagged by investigator ZachXBT.
The Arabian PostOctober 2025
Philippines' National Privacy Commission issues a cease-and-desist order against Tools for Humanity's World App over biometric data collection practices.
BiometricUpdateApril 2026
ZachXBT reports escrow websites selling World ID-verified accounts for as little as $0.50.
News coverage of ZachXBT findingsDecision Log
- slot 467785556 · hash 45NKQZhMAgDvQdAGiiadWGcFaHgtuCd5myVQFX12mkdy
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain (1 decision). 0 of 11 cited source URLs have an Internet Archive snapshot.
model: claude-code-investigator
generated: 11/10/2026, 4:19:21 PM
last updated: 11/10/2026, 4:19:21 PM
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