Thailand Orders Deletion of 1.2M Worldcoin Iris Scans Over Consent, Raids and Suspicion of Unlicensed Crypto Services
Thailand’s regulators have ordered Worldcoin to delete more than 1.2 million iris scans collected from Thai residents, citing breaches of the Personal Data Protection Act and alleged collection of biometric data in exchange for WLD token rewards without proper consent. The action follows a joint October probe by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, which included a raid on an iris‑scanning centre and detention of staff amid suspicions Worldcoin was offering unlicensed crypto services. Worldcoin paused verification operations in Thailand and removed Orb locations from its site but says it complied with Thai law and is open to dialogue to resume legally, warning that suspension could weaken biometric defences against AI‑driven identity fraud. Key points for traders: deletion order exceeds 1.2M iris scans; cited law: Personal Data Protection Act; enforcement: SEC and Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau raid and detentions; alleged incentive: WLD token rewards; Worldcoin response: paused operations and seeking regulatory talks. Market implication: this is a regulatory enforcement event that raises immediate downside pressure on WLD token sentiment, increases regulatory risk premium for identity‑biometric crypto projects, and may prompt sell‑side reactions while longer‑term impacts depend on Worldcoin’s ability to negotiate compliance and redesign data practices.
Bearish
This news is primarily negative for WLD token price in both the short and medium term. Short term: the deletion order and enforcement raid create immediate regulatory uncertainty and operational disruption—Worldcoin has paused verification in Thailand and will lose access to a sizeable user base, triggering likely sell pressure and reduced demand for WLD. Headlines about staff detentions and alleged unlicensed crypto services amplify risk sentiment and can spur margin selling or stop‑loss cascades. Medium term: the event raises the regulatory risk premium for projects that use biometric identity collection. Even if Worldcoin negotiates to resume operations, it will likely face costs to redesign data practices, potential fines, and continued scrutiny across jurisdictions, all of which can weigh on token utility and market confidence. Upside is limited absent a clear, timely resolution; therefore, price impact is expected to be negative until regulatory clarity and demonstrable compliance measures are achieved. Traders should treat this as a heightened risk event, adjust position sizing, consider shorter time horizons, and monitor official Thai agency statements and Worldcoin’s compliance announcements for catalysts.