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China Warns Worldcoin-Style Iris Scanning a National Security Threat
A new advisory from China's Ministry of State Security highlights what it calls national security risks based on foreign firms collecting biometric data under the guise of crypto giveaways.
Updated Aug 6, 2025, 2:37 p.m. Published Aug 6, 2025, 4:01 a.m.
What to know:
- China's Ministry of State Security has issued a warning about the misuse of biometric data by foreign companies, specifically targeting those offering cryptocurrency for iris scans.
- The warning appears to reference Worldcoin, a project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, which has faced regulatory scrutiny in Germany, France, and Kenya.
- Concerns have been raised about the transfer of biometric data abroad, potential privacy violations, and national security risks associated with such practices.
China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) is warning of a national security threat posed by the misuse of biometric data, singling out foreign companies that incentivize iris scans with cryptocurrency, in what appears to be a thinly veiled reference to Worldcoin via a post on its official WeChat account.
In a post, the MSS described a case in which a foreign firm offered crypto token rewards to scan users' irises around the world.
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The company later transferred the biometric data abroad, raising concerns about both personal data privacy and national security. While the company wasn’t named, the description closely matches Worldcoin, the crypto project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, which exchanges tokens for iris scans in a bid to build a global identity network.
The project has already faced regulatory pushback in Germany, France, and Kenya, CoinDesk previously reported, where concerns have been raised over informed consent, data storage, and surveillance potential.
Beijing's advisory goes further, citing other cases where stolen facial data has allegedly been used by foreign intelligence services to deepfake identities, allowing spies to infiltrate secure locations.
Worldcoin's WLD token is trading for 93 cents, down 4%, according to CoinDesk market data.
Read more: Sam Altman’s World Network in Talks With Visa for Stablecoin Payments Wallet: Source
AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.
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