China warns against Worldcoin’s iris-scanning

China has become the latest country to warn against Worldcoin’s biometric data collection practices, which it says threaten personal privacy and national security.

In a public advisory, the Chinese Ministry of State Security cautioned the public against the potential risks of data leakage at a time when biometric technologies collect, analyze, and store fingerprint, facial, iris, and body shape data.

In particular, the ministry doubled down on using iris scans with a thinly veiled attack on Worldcoin, the blockchain project that rewards users with WLD tokens for volunteering their biometric data.

“Publicly reported cases have revealed that an overseas company, under the guise of issuing cryptocurrency tokens, scanned and collected iris information from users worldwide and then transferred the data source, posing a threat to personal information security and even national security,” the ministry said in its WeChat post.

Beyond iris scans, the Chinese government warned against lax security on other biological keys, including systems holding fingerprint scans and facial recognition data. It accused foreign intelligence agencies of stealing and using this data to obtain information.

China has promulgated several new data laws to protect its citizens, and the government urged the public to abide by these rules to protect their data.

“While biometric identification brings convenience to our lives, we should attach great importance to its security, enhance awareness of protection, and be cautious when providing personal biometric information to eliminate the risk of leakage at the source,” the ministry cautioned.

Scan now, regret later: Worldcoin’s unending global backlash

China joins other countries like Spain, Germany, and South Korea, which have opened probes into Worldcoin’s data collection practices.

Others have gone a step further and suspended the project altogether. In August 2023, Kenya became the first country to suspend the project over data safety concerns, with lawmakers accusing it of espionage. Worldcoin had become wildly popular in the East African nation, with thousands lining up in the first week to get the iris scans and receive ‘free’ crypto tokens.

In May 2025, a High Court judge ruled that the Worldcoin Foundation must delete all data collected in Kenya and cease processing, collecting, or dealing in Kenyans’ biometric data.

Worldcoin has also ceased collecting biometric data in Brazil, France, and India. In Brazil, the country’s data watchdog ruled that offering the WLD tokens in exchange for biometric data violated local data protection laws. The project then silently abandoned the iris scanning orbs in India, where the government already collects iris scans, fingerprints and photographs through the Aadhaar identity system.

Worldcoin has sparked concerns about how it collects and stores data, with some industry leaders describing its model as dystopian. Others have criticized the project for targeting developing economies where data protection laws are not as stringent.

“We have seen the orb being deployed in third-world developing countries whose rules about identity and privacy might not be as strong as they are in the European Union or in the United States,” commented Santiago Siri, a board member at decentralized ID project Proof of Humanity.

Openledger, Trust Wallet integrate AI with DeFi

In other news, decentralized artificial intelligence (AI) network Openledger has announced a new partnership with Trust Wallet for “the first AI-powered wallet interface.”

Source: Openledger

Under the partnership, Trust users will access Openledger’s AI stack inside the wallet, from natural language commands to customized on-chain automation.

They can deploy AI agents that ease access to DeFi platforms and simplify often complex actions, such as switching between multiple networks and finding the cheapest bridges. The agents come with a conversational interface, allowing users to dictate actions such as swaps and have them done instantly.

Openledger says the agents will analyze user behavior to provide personalized recommendations, such as the cheapest routes or reminding users to claim airdrops.

Importantly, any decision and action undertaken by the AI agents will be fully auditable on-chain.

The integration “introduces a new paradigm where users gain more control through AI, not less. Where automation is not a tradeoff, but a tool, delivering personalization and precision without ever obscuring what’s happening under the hood,” Openledger noted in its announcement blog post.

Watch: Blockchain could revolutionize cybersecurity

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