The Debate Around Worldcoin’s Proof-of-Personhood

Is Worldcoin the Right Approach for Establishing Identity?

The emergence of Worldcoin, a crypto project developed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has generated significant controversy within the Web3 community. At its core, Worldcoin aims to establish an individual’s humanness and uniqueness through a mechanism called Proof-of-Personhood (PoP). In an era of increasing surveillance and threats to our fundamental right to identity, the concept of PoP holds great importance.

However, experts in the digital asset industry remain skeptical about Worldcoin’s effectiveness in achieving its objective.

Unpacking Proof-of-Personhood

The native cryptocurrency of the ‘Tools for Humanity’ project, Worldcoin, was recently launched with the goal of creating the world’s largest and most inclusive identity and financial public utility. While this may seem like a noble endeavor, privacy advocates within the digital asset industry have raised concerns.

Many observers argue that there are alternative paths to achieving the same outcome, and that Worldcoin is not the optimal solution. One such critic is Bob Bodily, a blockchain expert and CEO of Toniq Labs, a web3 infrastructure firm. In an exclusive interview with CryptoPotato, Bodily highlighted several shortcomings of Worldcoin’s verification model.

“How realistic is it for everyone in the world to obtain one of these devices? With only a few hundred currently available, and potentially a few thousand in the future, the accessibility needed for global adoption is severely limited.”

Bodily also expressed concerns about the high centralization of Worldcoin’s verification process. Users can only be validated using official hardware built by Worldcoin, raising questions about the project’s inclusivity and openness.

Another point of contention is the manufacturing and distribution of “Orbs” — the physical devices required for validation. Bodily emphasizes the scalability challenge and potential security risks associated with producing and disseminating these devices on a global scale. He raises concerns about malicious actors utilizing activities such as 3D printing replicated irises or hacking users’ phones to illicitly acquire their keys.

While critics voice their doubts, supporters of Worldcoin argue that leveraging biometrics for identity verification is not a novel approach. According to Leonard Tan, the Co-founder and CTO of Web3Auth, companies like Apple or Google already utilize on-device biometrics for identity verification. Tan believes that Worldcoin’s implementation is similar and acknowledges the importance of biometric scans in combating bad actors across various domains.

Despite Tan’s optimism, many within the Web3 community do not share the same sentiment.

The Achilles Heel of Worldcoin

Fakhul Miah, Elastos Global Head of Growth, highlights the lack of transparency regarding how Worldcoin will utilize the collected data and who will have access to it. This opacity makes it challenging to assess the potential privacy risks associated with the project.

Echoing similar concerns, Arie Trouw, the co-founder of XYO, emphasizes that the fundamental objective of Proof-of-Personhood is to protect personal details from unwanted exposure. However, Worldcoin’s implementation requires users to provide highly sensitive personal information, entrusting their entire identity verification process to a centralized entity. Trouw asserts that any system involving a company gathering vast amounts of personal data contradicts the goal of keeping such data out of the hands of centralized entities.

Instead, Trouw advocates for leveraging existing infrastructure that is built on trust and legitimacy, derived from the consent of the governed.

Designing the Ideal Proof-of-Personhood System

Although biometrics play a crucial role in confirming identity, Brendan Playford, the co-founder of Masa, a Web3 platform for growth and analytics infrastructure, believes that eliminating central entities is crucial in creating an ideal Proof-of-Personhood system. Playford suggests a system that incorporates on-chain and off-chain credentials, affiliations, behaviors, and reputation, termed as identifiers, to authenticate the authenticity of a user.

Ultimately, the debate around Worldcoin’s Proof-of-Personhood continues, with concerns over centralization, privacy, and potential security risks. As the digital asset industry evolves, it is essential to explore innovative and inclusive solutions that safeguard our identities while respecting our fundamental rights.