World Network taps X veteran to handle pesky regulators as global rollout continues

World ID verifications have launched in Panama, as the company focusses on Latin America as a key region in its global expansion. That expansion has now surpassed 17.5 million World Network users, more than 8 million of whom have been confirmed as real and previously unregistered through their iris biometrics.

The announcement follows the unveiling of “flagship locations” in Buenos Aires and Mexico City as part of a rebranding announcement. In addition to changing the company’s name from Worldcoin, executives unveiled new versions of its iris biometrics-scanning Orbs and intentions to roll out more of them. At the time, executives referred to the company mostly as “World,” but “Network” is now appended in official company communications. World Network also launched in Costa Rica earlier this month, relaunched in Brazil and was suspended by a regulator in the Dominican Republic.

Regular challenges from regulators have put a break on World Network enrollments in many countries, but the project’s overseers appear ready to meet them head-on. A new executive is joining the company’s dedicated development partner, Tools for Humanity, to engage with regulators as the partners attempt to scale the World network globally.

Humans for Tools

Tools for Humanity has appointed Nick Pickles as its chief policy officer to lead its engagement with government, regulators and policymakers.  The company believes his expertise in privacy, geopolitics and technology policy will help enable World Network to scale its infrastructure to address the common needs created by widespread use of AI.

Pickles previously served as the VP of global affairs at X, and spent just under 3 years working for Big Brother Watch.

“Tools for Humanity and World are uniquely positioned to lead critical policy conversations as AI begins to impact more of our lives, and I look forward to helping shape a responsible future for the critical technologies at the heart of World Network,” Pickles says.

He will be tasked with setting up teams to work on policy engagement in Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America and the Middle East.

Damien Kieran’s role with the company has also been expanded from chief privacy officer to chief privacy and legal officer of TFH.

Article Topics

appointments  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  iris biometrics  |  Panama  |  regulation  |  Tools for Humanity  |  World  |  World ID  |  World ID Orb