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Qadir AK
Qadir AK
Author
Qadir Ak is the founder of Coinpedia. He has over a decade of experience writing about technology and has been covering the blockchain and cryptocurrency space since 2010. He has also interviewed a few prominent experts within the cryptocurrency space.
Updated by:
Zameer Attar
Updated
Reviewed by:
Zafar Naik
Reviewed
- May 05, 2025 09:49 UTC
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Sam Altman’s Worldcoin Hit With Suspension in Indonesia: Will Eye-Scanning Steal Your Data?
Indonesia suspends Worldcoin’s eye-scanning operation over privacy concerns.
Sam Altman’s Worldcoin aims to create a secure digital identity using biometric iris scans, but faces mounting regulatory scrutiny globally.
Worldcoin continues its expansion plans, including U.S. rollouts, while balancing privacy concerns with innovation.
Worldcoin just hit another wall – and this time, it’s in Indonesia. The controversial crypto identity project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman 
Sam Altman
Sam Altman is a US-based tech entrepreneur and the founding member of OpenAI. He is recognized for his advancements in AI, cryptocurrency, and blockchain technology. As the CEO of OpenAI, Sam supports startup blockchain initiatives driven by AI and promotes blockchain ventures.
Sam was a co-founder of Worldcoin, which changed its name to World Network in 2024. The platform is a blockchain project aimed at decentralizing identity authentication (iris biometrics) utilizing cryptocurrency. To advance the OP stack blockchain development framework, he aims to explore the layer-2 Ethereum blockchain.
Quick Facts
Full name Samuel Harris Altman Birth 22-04-1985, Chicago, Illinois, United States Nationality American Education Computer Science from Stanford University (dropped) Known for AI-based projects
Sam Altman - Career Highlights
2014 – Became President of Y Combinator, which funds crypto startups. 2019 – Blockchain-based digital identity Worldcoin was founded by him. 2020 – Founded OpenAI’s GPT-3, a part of an AI-related project 2024 – Advanced OpenAI’s blockchain integrations for AI transparency. Chief Executive Officer 
has officially been suspended by Indonesian authorities following mounting concerns over user data collection.
If you’ve been following Worldcoin’s rollercoaster ride across global regulators, this latest development might not surprise you but it definitely raises fresh questions. What triggered the move? And what does this mean for Worldcoin’s future, especially as it tries to gain traction in the U.S.?
Let’s break it down.
Suspended Over “Suspicious Activity”
Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Informatics announced the move on May 4, citing public complaints and suspicious behavior linked to the platform. Alexander Sabar, director general for digital space supervision, called the freeze a “preventive measure” aimed at protecting citizens from potential harm.
The ministry is now summoning Worldcoin’s local partners – PT Terang Bulan Abadi and PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara – for further questioning.
“The freezing is a preventive measure to prevent potential risk to the public,” said Alexander Sabar, the ministry’s director general for digital space supervision.
The suspension adds Indonesia to a growing list of countries pushing back against Worldcoin’s eyeball-scanning tech. Since its 2023 launch, the project has stirred privacy debates from Kenya to Hong Kong, and more recently in Portugal and Spain, all of which have blocked or suspended its operations over biometric data concerns.
It really does make you think: how safe is this?
What Has Altman Set Out to Do?
Worldcoin’s big pitch? Prove you’re human in an internet full of bots – by scanning your eyeball. The idea sounds straight out of a sci-fi novel, but co-founder Sam Altman sees it as the key to surviving the AI era. Every scan generates a unique “World ID,” letting users tap into the project’s crypto ecosystem.
Worldcoin swears the biometric data is encrypted and fully anonymized but not everyone’s convinced. From Europe to Asia, regulators are raising eyebrows (and legal flags), questioning how much privacy users are really giving up in exchange for a digital identity.
Still, Altman’s not backing down.
Full Steam Ahead in America – Thanks to Trump!
Under the Trump administration’s friendlier crypto stance, Worldcoin has finally entered the U.S. market. Altman, now positioning America as World’s main focus, plans to deploy 10,000 orbs nationwide. A new Texas factory is already in the works to support the rollout.
Worldcoin is placing a big bet on a future where proving you’re human is the new login.
But as Indonesia becomes the latest to hit pause, the question now is whether Altman’s vision can balance innovation with privacy. If not, more countries might block it before the future arrives.
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FAQs
Worldcoin uses iris scans to verify human identity and issues a unique “World ID” for access to its crypto ecosystem.
Worldcoin has faced bans or suspensions in Kenya, Spain, Portugal, Hong Kong, and now Indonesia over data privacy concerns.
Critics fear misuse of biometric data despite claims it’s encrypted and anonymized, raising global regulatory red flags.
Yes 
No 
