HOLY SUNDAY. – The National Institute for the Protection of Consumer Rights (Pro Consumidor) ordered this Thursday the immediate cessation of the operations of the company Worldcoin Foundation due to the “abusive clauses” established in the adhesion contracts for citizens who have approached the company. same with the purpose of offering their biometric data in exchange for cryptocurrencies.
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In a press release, Pro Consumidor indicates that the suspension of the commercial activities of that company will be maintained until the surveys of operations and investigations carried out on it are processed through the documentation deposited in the institution for the purpose to verify the integrity of your business objectives.
The entity that defends consumer rights explains that the executive director of the institution, Eddy Alcántara, together with the Legal Department, proceeded to jointly carry out an analysis through which it was verified that the aforementioned contracts of the aforementioned company do not comply with the legal precepts established in law 358-05 and Resolutions number 01-2009 and 008-2002, which regulate the process of analysis and registration of contracts of accession in the Dominican Republic, and that likewise violate law 172-13 on the protection of personal data.
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Pro Consumidor reported that it notified the decision through act number 1840-24, dated November 14, 2024, through the ordinary sheriff Wilton David Grullón, of the First Collegiate Court of the Criminal Chamber of the National District.
It highlights that the findings in the contracts under analysis that could present violations of the aforementioned regulations, in the terms and conditions of Worldcoin Foundation, “it is necessary to detail the object of the contract, the supplier’s information, registered office in the country, as well as that the type of service offered in order to honor in this way the right to information enshrined in articles 33, literal c, and 84 of the General Law for the Protection of Consumer and User Rights.”
Pro Consumer Facade.
It also indicates that Worldcoin Foundation does not establish a registered office in the Dominican Republic, “and therefore the absence of this information affects the right of consumers to exercise and present complaints or requests for information in an accessible manner, thus violating the principle of transparent and clear relationship with the supplier.”
He maintained that it is the function of the State to protect and guarantee effectively and efficiently the enjoyment of constitutional prerogatives, with the help of administrative measures and appropriate legal provisions, in search of protecting the economic interests of consumers.
According to some media outlets, the company does not have static operations centers in the country, and yet, some 7,478 users have registered who approved the capture of their irises.
They explain that biometric data is obtained by approaching a spherical ball where the iris is scanned and this provides an identifier through which “coins” are obtained that can be exchanged or converted to Dominican pesos and according to the publications, these represent an amount initial RD$6,000.
