A controversial new digital ID system is not being rolled out across several major cities in the United Kingdom as the technology continues to spread globally.
A biometric identity project backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is set to establish a physical foothold in the UK.
Its controversial iris-scanning “Orbs” are scheduled to debut in London on June 12, 2025.
The project, known as Worldcoin, has already launched across multiple blue cities in the United States.
Worldcoin is now preparing for a full-scale expansion across the UK.
Under the banner of “verifying humanness,” Worldcoin is promoting its World ID system.
World ID is a digital identity generated by scanning a person’s iris using a metallic orb-like device.
While marketed as a safeguard in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), critics warn that such initiatives could mark a deeper push toward centralized digital identity systems.
Experts are raising alarms about the growing surveillance and globalist influence over personal data.
Worldcoin has recently introduced an upgraded system called World ID 2.0.
The new system adds selfie-based facial recognition and other verification methods to its arsenal.
These digital credentials are being positioned as a gateway to participate in everyday life, from online platforms to financial transactions.
The UK rollout begins in London.
Next, it will expand into Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Belfast, and Glasgow.
Installations are planned for shopping malls and busy retail areas, effectively bringing biometric scanning to the heart of daily commerce and public spaces.
In a move some observers see as an attempt to deepen control over user data, the company recently acquired Ottr Wallet, a crypto wallet platform.
The move further bolsters Worldcoin’s infrastructure and ability to merge digital ID with financial payments.
At the same time, Worldcoin is forging partnerships with major financial networks like Stripe and Visa, laying the foundation for embedding biometric ID into transit systems, payments, and even emergency services.
This growing fusion of identity, finance, and technology is fueling fears that access to essential services may one day hinge on biometric compliance.
Those who agree to be scanned are rewarded with a cryptocurrency token called Worldcoin (WLD).
However, critics warn that this incentive raises ethical questions about monetizing personal data.
The token has shown volatile behavior, rising more than 28% in a single week during the final quarter of 2024.
The project comes at a time of increasing unease about the use of biometric data and its long-term societal implications.
For privacy advocates and citizens concerned about creeping authoritarianism, Worldcoin’s expansion into public and private sectors signals more than just innovation—it could mark a turning point in the commodification of identity.
As biometric ID infrastructure quietly becomes part of urban life, questions are growing louder: What rights do individuals retain over their own biological data?
Who truly controls access in a world where identity is digitized, stored, and verified by global tech entities?
The answers, many fear, may be decided not by voters or local governments, but by multinational corporations with deep ties to artificial intelligence, big finance, and unelected institutions shaping a rapidly emerging global order.
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