The Download: Worldcoin under investigation, and food’s complex climate future

It’s a project that claims to use cryptocurrency to distribute money across the world, though its bigger ambition is to create a global identity system called “World ID” that relies on individuals’ unique biometric data to prove that they are humans.

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI and one of the biggest tech celebrities right now, is one of the cofounders of the project, which launched on July 24 in more than 20 countries. But it’s already being investigated in at least four jurisdictions around the world. Read our story to find out why. 

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+ If you want to learn more about Worldcoin, read our investigation into the company, based on more than 35 interviews with executives, contractors, and test users recruited primarily in developing countries. We found some vast gaps between its idealistic rhetoric and the realities on the ground, not least when it comes to handling people’s private biometric data.

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