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Journalist
Hassan Shittu
Journalist
Hassan Shittu
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Malaysia has officially adopted Worldcoin’s iris scan technology as part of its digital transformation strategy, marking a significant advancement in securing its digital identity verification.
This adoption was established as a result of the collaboration between the Worldcoin Foundation, Tools for Humanity (TFH), MyEG, and MIMOS Berhad.
Through Worldcoin’s advanced biometric system, Malaysia aims to use it to enhance the verification of digital credentials.
Malaysia Among the First Countries to Welcome Worldcoin
The integration of Worldcoin’s iris scan technology into Malaysia’s digital infrastructure represents a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to improve the verification of digital credentials.
The initiative is spearheaded by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Worldcoin Foundation, TFH, MyEG, and MIMOS Berhad, the Malaysian government’s applied research and development arm.
This partnership aims to leverage Worldcoin’s advanced biometric verification system to provide a secure and efficient method for verifying individual identities, commonly called “proof of humanness.”
The collaboration extends beyond identity verification. It also includes plans for the joint manufacturing of the “Orb,” the device used for iris scans, and the integration of Worldcoin’s blockchain technology with Malaysia’s National Blockchain Infrastructure.
The MoU also emphasizes Worldcoin’s technology’s open-source nature as a tool to ensure transparency and encourage innovation within Malaysia’s digital economy.
A New Technical Approach to Privacy Concerns
The Worldcoin project, initiated by Tools for Humanity, has faced regulatory scrutiny in various parts of the world due to concerns over privacy and the security of biometric data.
For instance, the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision in Germany and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data in Hong Kong have investigated Worldcoin’s operations and claimed that it poses a potential risk associated with collecting and storing biometric information.
In some regions, such as Spain and Hong Kong, these concerns have temporarily suspended Worldcoin’s services.
However, despite these setbacks, Worldcoin has continued to push for global expansion, actively working to comply with local privacy laws and address regulatory concerns.
Malaysia’s adoption of Worldcoin’s iris scan technology, therefore, not only highlights the nation’s confidence in the technology but also opens the door for other countries to do the same.
In response to privacy concerns, the Worldcoin Foundation has developed a secure multi-party computation (SMPC) system to enhance the privacy and security of biometric data.
This system allows for dividing iris codes into multiple secret components, ensuring an individual’s uniqueness can be verified without revealing personal information.
This breakthrough in cryptography is expected to mitigate many of the privacy concerns associated with biometric data collection and has been a critical factor in Worldcoin’s continued expansion.
The adoption of Worldcoin’s iris scan technology in Malaysia is more than just a technological upgrade; it has also been speculated to be a strategic decision to position the country as a hub for digital innovation.
The joint manufacturing of the Orb device and the integration of blockchain technology with the National Blockchain Infrastructure could open new applications in digital identity verification, secure transactions, and beyond.
If Malaysia successfully integrates this advanced biometric verification into its digital infrastructure, it will set a precedent for other nations looking to enhance their digital identity systems.
The open-source nature of Worldcoin’s technology further ensures that these innovations will be accessible, adaptable, and evolve over time.
Notably, this new development follows Malaysia’s approval of Worlcoin token public trading on digital assets exchanges recognized by the Malaysian authorities.
