"We note the launch of WorldCoin in the U.K. and will be making further enquiries," a spokesperson for the Information Commissioner's Office told CoinDesk. Organizations "need to have a clear lawful basis to process personal data. Where they are relying on consent, this needs to be freely given and capable of being withdrawn without detriment."

Worldcoin, which launched on Monday, describes itself as a digital passport that can help holders prove they are human. The project already had 2 million users from its beta launch.

The Worldcoin Foundation adheres to strict privacy guidelines and "are continuing to assess local laws and regulations to ensure compliance," a company spokesperson said. "With regard to GDPR, Worldcoin is fully compliant with all laws and regulations governing biometric data collection and data transfer, including Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation."

UPDATE (July 26 09:51 UTC): Adds Worldcoin Foundation comments.

Regulations UK AI worldcoin Wld

Camomile Shumba

Camomile Shumba is a CoinDesk regulatory reporter based in the UK. Previously, Shumba interned at Business Insider and Bloomberg. Camomile has featured in Harpers Bazaar, Red, the BBC, Black Ballad, Journalism.co.uk, Cryptopolitan.com and South West Londoner. Shumba studied politics, philosophy and economics as a combined degree at the University of East Anglia before doing a postgraduate degree in multimedia journalism. While she did her undergraduate degree she had an award-winning radio show on making a difference. She does not currently hold value in any digital currencies or projects.

Eliza Gkritsi

Eliza Gkritsi is a CoinDesk contributor focused on the intersection of crypto and AI, having previously covered mining for two years. She previously worked at TechNode in Shanghai and has graduated from the London School of Economics, Fudan University, and the University of York. She owns 25 WLD. She tweets as @egreechee.