An individual going by the name of Nadir Hajarabi has come forward with allegations of potential illegal activities within the Worldcoin project. Hajarabi claims to have worked for Worldcoin in the past and states that they witnessed “questionable” activities before leaving the project just before its token launch on July 24. According to Hajarabi, the project had a “horrendous execution,” including cutting corners prior to the release of its white paper. They claim to have contacted the Worldcoin CEO and legal team regarding these discrepancies but did not receive satisfactory answers.
Hajarabi spoke to Cointelegraph and revealed that they have not been paid for their work during the ETHCC (Ethereum Community Conference) and ETH Global events because they started raising questions. They express their dissatisfaction with the situation, stating that a company that claims to be solving financial injustice should not cause financial harm to its workers. Hajarabi intends to speak up for what they believe is rightfully theirs, even if their reach is limited.
It is important to note that these claims made by Hajarabi have not been independently verified. However, they did provide evidence of their involvement with Worldcoin, including a photo of themselves with one of the project’s iris-scanning orbs. Hajarabi’s YouTube channel was created in September 2013 and only features one video, which details their allegations against Worldcoin. Furthermore, their LinkedIn page appears to be connected to the same individual mentioned in the YouTube video, a Paris resident with experience in non-fungible tokens, Web3 projects, and smart contracts.
Worldcoin is a project aimed at distinguishing real people from bots through retinal scans for identity verification. Prior to its token launch in July, it garnered over 2 million sign-ups. However, the project faced criticism from both within and outside the crypto space due to concerns over user data privacy. The Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision reportedly started investigating Worldcoin in November 2022, while the French National Commission on Informatics and Liberty questioned its data collection methods. The Information Commissioner’s Office in the United Kingdom also expressed concerns over the project.
The allegations against Worldcoin have gained attention from authorities in different jurisdictions. In August, Kenya’s minister of internal security announced the suspension of Worldcoin’s local operations until authorities could assess any potential risks to residents. This included a raid and seizure of the organization’s equipment. Argentina’s Agency for Access to Public Information also launched an investigation into Worldcoin’s collection, storage, and use of customer data, citing security and privacy concerns.
It is worth noting that these allegations against Worldcoin should be taken with caution, as they have not been independently verified. However, if Hajarabi’s claims are true, they could raise serious legal and ethical concerns surrounding the project’s activities. It remains to be seen how these investigations will unfold and what actions will be taken against Worldcoin, if any.
As of now, Worldcoin has not responded to requests for comment on the allegations made by Hajarabi. The project’s future and reputation may depend on how it addresses these serious accusations and resolves any potential legal and ethical issues raised.
