Thailand Orders Worldcoin to Delete 1.2 Million Thai Iris Records

Worldcoin Failure in Thailand

Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) has issued one of its strongest legal actions yet against Worldcoin, ordering the project to delete more than 1.2 million iris scan records collected from Thai citizens and immediately cease operations in the country.

The ruling represents a sharp escalation in the global backlash against biometric data, and shows that national regulators are increasingly asserting data sovereignty over foreign digital identity networks. For Worldcoin — which has already faced scrutiny in Europe, Kenya, and Latin America — Thailand’s decision adds to a growing list of jurisdictions questioning the legality, necessity, and security of the project’s proof-of-identity model.

Why did Thailand react so strongly?

Thailand’s enforcement stance reflects deep concerns about the irreversibility and sensitivity of biometric data. Unlike passwords or personal identifiers, which can be reset, iris patterns cannot be changed and are permanently tied to an individual. The PDPC argued that Worldcoin failed to comply with several core principles of Thai data protection law, including explicit consent, limitation to a legitimate purpose, and adequate security assurances.

Importantly, regulators consider iris scans to be “sensitive personal data,” subject to stricter compliance requirements that Worldcoin allegedly failed to meet. The scale—more than 1.2 million participants in Thailand—amplified the regulatory response, turning what could have been a technical breach into a national data risk.

Ending “Global Ambition”

World, co-founded by OpenAI's Sam Altman in 2019 as Worldcoin, has scanned 17.5 million irises worldwide via Orb devices, aiming to verify 1 billion "human proofs" to combat fake AI and enable universal basic income (UBI) via the WLD token. However, the project - which was renamed in October 2025 - has faced a barrage of criticism from regulators: Bans in Germany, Spain, South Korea, Indonesia, and Brazil over privacy concerns, with only 10% of scans performed in regulated markets.

Thailand's crackdown, the latest in a series of privacy crackdowns in Asia, follows Indonesia's October shutdown and Kenya's 2023 moratorium, which prompted TFH to suspend operations and commit to dialogue with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES). A source close to M Vision, the installer of Orb, denounced the shutdown as "punitive," estimating the loss of WLD value at 1 billion baht and planning to sue on behalf of affected users. World's Thailand rollout of WLD, launching in 2024, targets 1.2 million scans through pop-up events, offering 52 WLD tokens monthly (worth $1.50-$5 per scan).

The PDPC expert panel ruled that the crypto bait violated the PDPA's "voluntary" consent, while the scanning ban referred to the use of undisclosed identity verification - potentially fueling fraudulent networks, according to the CCIB's investigation. Altman's response, via TFH: "We remain committed to building a safer digital reality... and will cooperate constructively with Thai authorities." Binance, which lists WLD, issued a user warning and suspended THB pairs pending review.

Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is the author's personal opinion in the cryptocurrency field. It is not intended to be financial or investment advice. Any investment decision should be based on careful consideration of your personal portfolio and risk tolerance. The views expressed in this article do not represent the official position of the platform. We recommend that readers conduct their own research and consult with a professional before making any investment decisions.