SANTO DOMINGO.-The company that collected biometric data in the Dominican Republic and whose operations were suspended by the authorities, carried out similar operations in Kenya, a country that has a military presence in Haiti.
The entity called Worldcoin is on paper a legal entity dedicated to the cryptocurrency market and its operations in Kenya were suspended “until the competent public bodies certify the absence of risks.”
The concern that led to the suspension of its functions in the African country was similar to that which motivated the locals, the use that would be given to the iris scans, although in this case the client was offered a digital identity document.
Impersonation and Haiti
Yesterday, the former president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), Roberto Rosario, considered the activities of the aforementioned company to be worrying, due to the registration problems that Haiti is currently experiencing, as well as the problems of Dominican identity theft.
The also member of the Political Directorate of the People’s Force, urged the authorities to reveal who is behind the operations of the Worldcoin company, accused of collecting biometric data of Dominican citizens. Rosario described this practice as a mistake that puts at risk not only the national identity, but also the democratic stability of the country.
Coincidence?
Rosario’s concern arises from the coincidence of this activity with the process announced by the JCE to renew the plastic of the identity and electoral card, a legal mandate that is executed every ten years to update the electoral registry.
According to the political leader, the collection of sensitive data such as fingerprints and facial prints by a private entity constitutes a threat to the integrity of the electoral system and the privacy of citizens.
Rosario highlighted that this panorama is aggravated by the registration complexities faced by Haiti, where a lack of a robust identification system has generated fertile ground for identity theft.
He warned that the possible appropriation of Dominican identities could have repercussions on immigration, electoral and security problems, which makes it even more urgent to address this situation seriously.
Rosario stressed that during his administration, between 2010 and 2016, the JCE managed to integrate citizens’ fingerprints and irises into the identity and electoral card.
However, he explained that the renewal of the current plastic will require the revalidation of the data in the electoral roll, a process that could be affected if the parallel capture of biometric information is not stopped in time.
The political leader also called on the country’s political parties to support the actions of the JCE and remain vigilant in the face of this problem.
“It is imperative that political actors join forces to protect the identity of Dominicans.
Blockade
International
Worldcoin operations were also suspended, fined or requisitioned in Portugal, Spain, France, Colombia, Argentina, Chile and South Korea. In all these countries, for the same reason.
