The global digital identity project faces regulatory challenges in Thailand.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's digital identity project World (formerly Worldcoin) has encountered regulatory hurdles in Thailand. Local authorities recently conducted raids on iris scanning facilities allegedly associated with the platform. This operation was carried out in cooperation with the Thai SEC ( and the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau ), targeting locations related to “WLD trading services”, as announced by the SEC on Friday. The native crypto asset WLD Token of World will be distributed to eligible users who need to verify their identity through iris scans at designated Orb locations. Reportedly, the platform operates 102 such locations across Thailand. However, the SEC and CCIB are concerned that WLD trading service providers may be operating without the necessary permits, thus violating local digital asset regulations. Authorities have taken action against suspects involved in such activities and further legal actions are expected. World insists that it only issues WLD Tokens in regions where such activities are legally permitted. The platform's website clearly states that eligibility for WLD Tokens depends on geographical location, age, and other criteria. Furthermore, World is not responsible for the availability of WLD Tokens on third-party platforms, whether centralized exchanges or decentralized exchanges. Cointelegraph reached out to World’s developer Tools of Humanity for comment on the raid, but had not received any response by the time of publication.