In Thailand, the government has mandated World, a digital identity initiative backed by Sam Altman, to halt its services and erase all user identification information.

The Economic and Social Development Board of Thailand recently instructed World to eliminate iris scans belonging to 1.2 million users, as declared in a Monday announcement from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES).

This injunction stated that World’s exchange of iris data for its Worldcoin (WLD) token breached the nation’s Personal Data Protection Act, which oversees the use and dissemination of personal information.

This suspension follows a recent raid by Thai authorities on a World scanning site amid concerns regarding possible infringements of digital asset legislation.

Operations Cease Without Acknowledgment of Fault

Represented by TIDC Worldverse in Thailand, World announced on X (formerly Twitter) that it has suspended local verification processes and removed Thailand from its list of countries where Orb services are offered.

“This directive persists despite our adherence to local laws and our transparency in dealings with regulators,” asserted the company.

World Thailand highlighted the adverse effects of this cessation on the millions of Thai residents utilizing their identity technology to guard against fraud and identity theft.

“We are devoted to fostering a safer digital landscape for Thais and are eager to work cooperatively with Thai authorities, including MDES and the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) moving forward.”

Attempts to reach Tools of Humanity, World’s developer, for commentary on the raid yielded no response prior to publication.

Since its rebranding from Worldcoin in July 2023, World has grappled with numerous regulatory hurdles globally.

According to CoinGecko, WLD, the token tied to World, has experienced a significant drop of over 70% in the past year.