Worldcoin’s latest hardware, the Orb Mini, aimed at enabling portable human verification, has been met with ridicule across social media.
Launched with the slogan “It goes where you go,” the device has instead triggered dystopian comparisons and widespread mockery for its unsettling implications and unclear use case.
“The thing about humans is they can tell when a human is in front of them,” Alicia Katz from
decentralized finance (DeFi)
lending platform Euler Finance wrote on X.
“When something feels a bit off, they might encounter the uncanny valley, which triggers an uneasy sensation akin to when your date attempts to stare into your eye,” she explained.
A fellow user remarked, “Is this for registering your buddies?” comparing the gadget to something out of science fiction rather than viewing it as a genuine identification method.
The Orb Mini is a compact iris-scanning gadget designed to generate a distinct World ID for each user, which is then saved onto the blockchain. It looks like a regular smartphone but features noticeable eye scanners. This device serves as a more convenient variant of Worldcoin’s initial Orb model.
Introduced at the “At Last” event in San Francisco on April 30, this gadget is part of a
more extensive initiative by Tools for Humanity
, aiming to deploy 7,500 Orb units throughout the U.S. by the end of this year.
Related:
Sam Altman’s eye-tracking cryptocurrency initiative, World, debuts in the USA.
Cryptocurrency enthusiasts query the usefulness of Orb Mini.
Multiple notable figures voiced worries regarding safety, morality, and fundamental feasibility.
A user enquired about the practical application of this solution in real life, whereas some criticized its susceptibility to spoofing. One comment on Twitter pointed out that the gadget “might be tricked by a fairly good AI-generated image of a person.”
In the same conversation, a user jokingly suggested using “a rectal probe” for enhanced security verifications, stating, “Each person’s anal fingerprint is distinct.”
Critics also slammed the device’s social implications. Swan Bitcoin CEO Cory Klippsten called the Orb Mini a “creepy dystopia-shilling” tool, suggesting the product reflects insecurity among its creators rather than solving any real trust issue.
Related:
Brazil’s data watchdog upholds ban on World crypto payments
Worldcoin faces resistance
Worldcoin’s push to make biometric identity tools mainstream continues to face resistance, especially as privacy advocates raise questions about decentralization, surveillance, and bodily autonomy.
On May 5, the company, backed by Sam Altman’s Tools for Humanity,
faced challenges in Indonesia
after local regulators temporarily suspended its registration certificates.
Several global regulators have pushed back on
World’s operations
since its
launch in July 2023
, with governments like
Germany
, Kenya and
Brazil expressing concerns over potential risks
for the protection of users’ biometric information.
Magazine:
Bitcoin anticipates ‘astronomical figures,’ JD Vance scheduled for Bitcoin discussion: Hodler’s Digest, May 4 – 10
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