#### [Bootnotes](/offbeat/bootnotes/)**13** Altman’s eyeball-scanning biometric blockchain orbs officially come to America==============================================================================**13** El Reg checks out shop in SF—————————-[Iain Thomson](/Author/Iain-Thomson ‘Read more by this author’) Sun 4 May 2025 // 12:43 UTC [](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dreddit&title=Altman%27s%20eyeball-scanning%20biometric%20blockchain%20orbs%20officially%20come%20to%20America) [](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Altman%27s%20eyeball-scanning%20biometric%20blockchain%20orbs%20officially%20come%20to%20America&url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dtwitter&via=theregister) [](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/feed?app_id=1404095453459035&display=popup&link=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dfacebook) [](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dlinkedin&title=Altman%27s%20eyeball-scanning%20biometric%20blockchain%20orbs%20officially%20come%20to%20America&summary=El%20Reg%20checks%20out%20shop%20in%20SF) [](https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dwhatsapp) On Thursday, six stores across America opened their doors with a curious proposition: Come on in, let a metal orb scan your irises, and walk out with a new online profile that promises you’re an individual human — and a few bucks in crypto for your troubles.The US retail stores are the latest outgrowth of the World (formerly known as WorldCoin) project – the flagship initiative from Tools for Humanity, a startup co-founded in 2019 by OpenAI boss Sam Altman, along with Alex Blania and Max Novendstern.World allows you to verify you are an actual person so that you can log into services that require the platform. It specializes in attempting to distinguish real humans from bots and AI-generated imitators. The idea being, if you’re running a site or app — internet gaming or dating, say — and you really want to make sure each of your users are genuine individuals and not automated fakes, World provides that level of user identity and authenticity management. Here’s the catch: The most reliable way to do this, the startup argues, is with biometric scanning. World’s key components include the Orb (a glossy sphere that photos your iris and face), World ID (a blockchain-based so-called proof-of-personhood system), the World App (where users manage their ID and get access to services), and Worldcoin (aka WLD, A cryptocurrency distributed to users as a reward).Unsurprisingly, regulators around the world have raised concerns about this whole idea of an upstart collecting and storing people’s biometric data. South Korea [fined the startup](https://cointelegraph.com/news/south-korea-fines-worldcoin-personal-data-violations) over $800,000 for privacy violations. [Hong Kong](https://www.reuters.com/technology/hong-kong-regulator-directs-worldcoin-cease-operations-citing-privacy-concerns-2024-05-22/) ordered it to cease operations entirely, and [Germany](https://www.theblock.co/post/331713/german-authority-orders-eyeball-scanning-world-project-to-delete-data-after-investigation), [Kenya](https://icj-kenya.org/news/high-court-to-deliver-judgment-on-worldcoin-case-in-may-2025/), and [Spain](https://cointelegraph.com/news/worldcoin-spain-activity-suspension) have initiated various legal actions against the firm. But never mind all that – on to America! The upstart has now set up shopfronts in Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco, with its eyeball-scanning Orb devices. Since SF is also the home of Vulture West, we decided to pop in and have a look.The store, nestled between Macy’s and Louis Vuitton in the city’s Union Square, is a tad ramshackle and barely painted. A wooden structure in the center of the room houses eight soccer ball-sized Orbs at varying heights. World’s San Francisco outlet … The Apple Store it ain’tHere’s how it works for us netizens. We’ll assume you need to create (or anticipate creating) a verified-human profile on World that’s required by an app or service you want to use.First, you must download the World App, sign in, and after entering the store, wait as it links with a nearby Orb. The app tells you where to stand in relation to the sphere and how to position your head, and the scan of your eyes and face takes a few seconds to complete. That data is used to build a blockchain-based [World ID](https://docs.world.org/world-id) unique to you based on your physically biometric info.Specifically, that biometric scan is encrypted and sent directly to your phone to be converted into that unique identity token, after which the info is deleted on the Orb itself, the project says. As an incentive, the World app is credited with Worldcoins worth a little over $16 in real-world money. That token is then used later on when logging into things to prove you are a unique, genuinely real human.Despite all the scrutiny, the startup claims to have 26 million people using its app around the world, with 12 million people having added their biometric data.* [ChatGPT burns tens of millions of Softbank dollars listening to you thanking it](https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/21/users_being_polite_to_chatgpt/)* [OpenAI asks Uncle Sam to let it scrape everything, stop other countries complaining](https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/13/openai_data_copyright/)* [Sam Altman wants a US-led freedom coalition to fight authoritarian AI](https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/25/sam_altman_ai_freedom/)* [Sam Altman’s basic income experiment finds that money can indeed buy happiness](https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/23/sam_altman_basic_income/)At a Wednesday event in SF, Altman and Blania officially launched the organization in the US — there have been trials around the world — and said the outfit wanted to have 7,500 Orbs – four times the total current installed base – in place across the States by the end of the year. The biz has set up a factory in Texas to pump out Orbs for America and the rest of the world, and is working on a miniaturized version to increase verification.’I’m a very proud American, I think America should lead innovation, not fight it off,’ Altman said at the shindig, which you can watch below.At the gathering, Blania said the three areas the business will be focusing on are gaming, online dating, and social media, mainly to eliminate bots masquerading as real people. World IDs can help assure people they are chatting to actual people online, he claimed. That said, it’s not a panacea; we can think of some drawbacks.World announced two partnerships during its US launch. A Visa-backed debit card will be issued later this year, and Match.com in Japan will be using World ID to reassure nervous daters.During our store visit, an assistant said the amount of traffic for the Orbs had been very high, but we observed only a handful of people giving it a try in the 15 minutes in the shop. One man, a visitor to the [RSA Conference](https://www.theregister.com/special_features/spotlight_on_rsac/) happening just down the road, said he’d heard about it at the show and ‘free money is free money.’ We hope he’s right. ® [Sponsored: Harnessing AI for fast, reliable networks](https://go.theregister.com/tl/3163/shttps://www.theregister.com/2025/04/27/huawei_networking/) Share [](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dreddit&title=Altman%27s%20eyeball-scanning%20biometric%20blockchain%20orbs%20officially%20come%20to%20America) [](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Altman%27s%20eyeball-scanning%20biometric%20blockchain%20orbs%20officially%20come%20to%20America&url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dtwitter&via=theregister) [](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/feed?app_id=1404095453459035&display=popup&link=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dfacebook) [](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dlinkedin&title=Altman%27s%20eyeball-scanning%20biometric%20blockchain%20orbs%20officially%20come%20to%20America&summary=El%20Reg%20checks%20out%20shop%20in%20SF) [](https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dwhatsapp) #### More about* [Facial Recognition](/Tag/Facial%20Recognition/)* [Identity Theft](/Tag/Identity%20Theft/)* [Personally Identifiable Information](/Tag/Personally%20Identifiable%20Information/) More like these × ### More about* [Facial Recognition](/Tag/Facial%20Recognition/)* [Identity Theft](/Tag/Identity%20Theft/)* [Personally Identifiable Information](/Tag/Personally%20Identifiable%20Information/) ### Broader topics* [Privacy](/Tag/Privacy/)* [Security](/Tag/Security/) #### More aboutShare [](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dreddit&title=Altman%27s%20eyeball-scanning%20biometric%20blockchain%20orbs%20officially%20come%20to%20America) [](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Altman%27s%20eyeball-scanning%20biometric%20blockchain%20orbs%20officially%20come%20to%20America&url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dtwitter&via=theregister) [](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/feed?app_id=1404095453459035&display=popup&link=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dfacebook) [](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dlinkedin&title=Altman%27s%20eyeball-scanning%20biometric%20blockchain%20orbs%20officially%20come%20to%20America&summary=El%20Reg%20checks%20out%20shop%20in%20SF) [](https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/04/sam_altman_startup_world/%3futm_medium%3dshare%26utm_content%3darticle%26utm_source%3dwhatsapp) **13** COMMENTS #### More about* [Facial Recognition](/Tag/Facial%20Recognition/)* [Identity Theft](/Tag/Identity%20Theft/)* [Personally Identifiable Information](/Tag/Personally%20Identifiable%20Information/) More like these × ### More about* [Facial Recognition](/Tag/Facial%20Recognition/)* [Identity Theft](/Tag/Identity%20Theft/)* [Personally Identifiable Information](/Tag/Personally%20Identifiable%20Information/) ### Broader topics* [Privacy](/Tag/Privacy/)* [Security](/Tag/Security/) #### TIP US OFF[Send us news](https://www.theregister.com/Profile/contact/)[#### China cracks down on personal information collection. No, seriouslyAsia In Brief PLUS: Indonesia crimps social media, allows iPhones; India claims rocket boost; In-flight GenAI for Japan AirlinesSecurity1 month -| 12](/2025/03/31/asia_tech_news_in_brief/?td=keepreading) [#### China bans compulsory facial recognition and its use in private spaces like hotel roomsAsia In Brief PLUS: Zoho’s Ulaa anointed India’s most patriotic browser; Typhoon-like gang targets Taiwan; Japan debates offensive cyber-ops; and moreSecurity1 month -| 19](/2025/03/23/asia_tech_news_in_brief/?td=keepreading) [#### TSA’s airport facial-recog tech faces audit probeSenators ask, Homeland Security watchdog answers: Is it worth the money?Security3 months -| 22](/2025/02/03/tsa_facial_recognition_audit/?td=keepreading) [#### How automation can drive out downtimeNokia Event-Driven Automation platform is on a mission to remove mistakes from datacenter operationsSponsored feature](/2025/04/16/nokia_automation/?td=keepreading) [#### AI facial recognition could sink this murder probeupdated Cops relied on unreliable tech for search warrant, omitted details … so judge bins off evidenceAI + ML3 months -| 37](/2025/01/28/ai_facial_recognition_murder/?td=keepreading) [#### Even modest makeup can thwart facial recognitionYou may not need to go full Juggalo for the sake of privacyAI + ML4 months -| 47](/2025/01/15/make_up_thwart_facial_recognition/?td=keepreading) [#### Police arrest suspect in murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO, with grainy pics the only tech involvedMcDonald’s worker called it in, cops swooped, found ‘gun, suppressor, manifesto’Security5 months -| 131](/2024/12/10/unitedhealthcare_shooting_camera/?td=keepreading) [#### Smile! UK cops spend tens of millions on live facial recognition techLabour government keen, though critics paint it as a severe threat to privacySoftware5 months -| 71](/2024/11/25/uk_police_lfr_tender/?td=keepreading) [#### Cops love facial recognition, and withholding info on its use from the courtsWithholding exculpatory evidence from suspects isn’t a great look when the tech is already questionableSecurity7 Oct 2024 -| 23](/2024/10/07/cops_love_facial_recognition_and/?td=keepreading) [#### Hardware barn denies that .004 seconds of facial recognition violated privacyClaims it was just spotting shoppers who threatened staff at Bluey’s favorite big box storeAI + ML5 months -| 32](/2024/11/19/facial_recognition_privacy_appeal_bunnings_australia/?td=keepreading) [#### Remote ID verification tech is often biased, bungling, and no good on its ownOnly 2 out of 5 tested products were equitable across demographicsPublic Sector30 Sep 2024 -| 10](/2024/09/30/remote_identity_verification_biased/?td=keepreading) [#### Keir Starmer says facial recognition tech is the answer to far-right riotsThe technology remains highly controversial despite widespread rolloutPublic Sector5 Aug 2024 -| 292](/2024/08/05/keir_starmer_facial_recognition/?td=keepreading)
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