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Spain High Court reaffirms data protection agency’s decision to temporarily halt Worldcoin operations – JURIST

The Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the National Court in Spain upheld the precautionary cessation of data collection by Tools of Humanity Corporation GMBH (FTH) of Worldcoin on Monday. In reaffirming the decision of the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD), the court noted that the protection of personal data superseded any commercial interests of a company.Tools for Humanity corporation appealed the decision by the AEPD on March 7, which sought to temporarily cease all collection and processing of personal data by Worldcoin. The corporation argued that AEPD’s decision would result in irreparable damages in Spain and globally. Additionally, it contended that AEPD did not have jurisdiction to make the decision since the company was domiciled in Bavaria. The court nonetheless ruled that AEPD had jurisdiction over the matter. Additionally, TFH’s claim of irreparable damages failed as the court noted that it would be sufficiently compensated if the court awarded them a favorable ruling.AEPD’s decision to temporarily ban Worldcoin operations follows a slew of complaints that Worldcoin was collecting and processing data, especially minors’ data, without sufficient consent. Additionally, the AEPD cited various instances that indicated that the consent given was uninformed due to insufficient information given and could not be withdrawn. This contravened various provisions of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) of the European Union (EU).Worldcoin debuted in 2023. More than 4 million people have registered with it since then across 120 countries. Nevertheless, Worldcoin has had many difficulties since its inception. Particularly, because of privacy and data protection concerns, a number of nations, like Kenya, have temporarily suspended its operations.Worldcoin has yet to release a conclusive statement on the court’s decision, but it has referred to the AEPD’s decision as “circumventing EU law” while spreading “inaccurate and misleading claims” about the company. The company also added that World ID was “the most privacy-preserving and safest solution for asserting humanness in the age of AI.”