Worldcoin has introduced an updated version of its World ID feature, known as “World ID 2.0.”
In a press release published Tuesday, Worldcoin announced that its new version would be integrated with Minecraft, Shopify, Mercado Libre, Reddit and Telegram, allowing users to authenticate themselves on the platforms.
Worldcoin is an iris biometric cryptocurrency project that was founded by Sam Altman in 2019. According to its website, the company employs iris biometrics to authenticate an individual’s unique identity. Subsequently, Worldcoin issues a digital World ID to the individual, enabling pseudonymous use in a diverse range of everyday applications without disclosing the user’s identity.
The announcement highlighted that the new app integrations supplement the existing ones, such as Discord, Talent Protocol, and Okta’s Auth0. Additionally, the updated version provides app developers with the flexibility to select varying levels of authentication, ranging from “lite” to “max.”
According to the announcement, these new levels are intended to provide users with more ways for people to use their World ID based on the security needs of the application, while ensuring that they aren’t sharing more information than they need to for a given application.
For instance, an application emphasizing high security might mandate users to possess an Orb-verified ID. Conversely, applications prioritizing convenience may only necessitate a “Device Auth” World ID linked to the user’s mobile phone.
A Worldcoin representative told Cointelegraph that Shopify stores can now individually choose the level of integration required.
“For the new Shopify integration, stores will be able to create coupons and then specify the level of humanness required to redeem them (options include the ‘device-verified’ level, which is done on the individual’s smartphone or Orb-verified level),” the spokesperson said.
Worldcoin said that the newly introduced features in World ID 2.0 aim to mitigate losses caused by bots, all while avoiding the necessity for users to disclose their personal information to the applications they are utilizing. Referring to a CNBC report, Worldcoin stated that retailers are reportedly losing $100 billion annually due to issues like ‘return fraud, bots, and coupon stacking.’
Worldcoin exited its beta phase in July 2023 and has generated controversy regarding its highest-security level of authentication, which involves scanning a users iris and generating a zero-knowledge proof of the scan. Critics have argued that this process may lead to the potential leakage of biometric information.
Worldcoin, in response, has defended the practice by asserting that it only retains the proof of the iris scan and does not store the scan itself.
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