OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's digital identification project, World, has raised $135 million from Andreessen Horowitz and Bain Capital Crypto to expand its iris-scanning technology and infrastructure. The funding aims to grow its network in the U.S. and globally, with over 12.5 million World IDs already issued. However, the project is facing regulatory challenges, particularly in Brazil and Indonesia. Brazil's National Data Protection Authority suspended biometric data collection in response to informed consent violations. Indonesia's Ministry of Communications has also initiated an investigation due to non-compliance with local regulations. As a response to regulatory pressure, World has shifted its business model to grant data ownership to users. The project seeks to navigate privacy and ethical concerns surrounding centralized digital ID systems while adhering to global data protection standards.

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