Personal data: thousands of people give photos of their irises in exchange for money

Thousands of people are giving up their most intimate personal data in exchange for money. Personal data such as photographs of the iris, even more identifying a person than a fingerprint. The value can reach 100 euros and four thousand candidates appear every day

World ID is the application that allows you to receive virtual coins in exchange for iris photographs and already has more than three million users in 35 countries.

At Gare do Oriente, in Lisbon, around 200 people were expected this Friday to provide their data. There are days when they reach 500 people.

The two metallic spheres arouse curiosity. Until last week, anyone could show up, but now appointments are required. Still, there are those who don’t know exactly what they will get in return.

The application has been creating barriers to ensure that only adults can join the project.

The majority are young adults, but it seems that more and more people over fifty are appearing. This is the example of Maria who brought her mother to install the application.

The company guarantees that the collected data will never be sold, and that the iris images are destroyed. In a world where personal data is increasingly valuable, privacy ends up being within the reach of only a few.