Worldcoin Foundation Launches, Open Sources "Perfect Secrecy" SMPC System to Help Organizations Strengthen Biometric Data Security Protections
The Worldcoin Foundation today announced it launched and is open sourcing a novel secure multi-party computation (SMPC) system. The system, available now in a GitHub repository for any organization to use, aims to set a new standard for data protection, including the protection of biometric data. The Worldcoin Foundation also announced that, after the migration of iris codes to the new SMPC system, the previous uniqueness-checking system, including iris codes, was securely deleted.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240515285506/en/
Worldcoin Foundation Launches, Open Sources "Perfect Secrecy" SMPC System to Help Organizations Strengthen Biometric Data Security Protections (Graphic: Business Wire)
Biometric authentication use increases as data breach frequency and impact rise
Organizations in the private and public sector increasingly require and use consumers’ biometric data for everyday services and activities, from building access and airport security to logging into healthcare and financial services apps. Underscoring the increase, a Fortune Business Insights report projected the global biometric system market size to reach $76.70 billion USD in 2029, 2.5x its total of $30.77 billion in 2022.
Meanwhile, research from MIT Professor Stuart Madnick indicates a 20% increase in data breaches from 2022 to 2023 while globally the number of victims of such breaches doubled over the same time period.
The convergence of these trends suggests a need to further advance data protection technologies. While Worldcoin is neither an authentication nor an identification use case for biometrics (the Worldcoin Foundation does not know the identity of their users), the Foundation’s new open source SMPC system can serve as a building block to set a new standard in biometric data security.
Worldcoin Foundation’s SMPC system
SMPC has been lauded by privacy and security experts alike. It can be thought of as taking one secret and sharing it in multiple parts across different parties for increased protection. Importantly, none of the individual parts alone say anything about the original secret, thus making it impossible for any individual party to decrypt the secret.
This SMPC approach demonstrates perfect information-theoretic security, meaning it is effective even against quantum-computing. SMPC systems have generally been too resource-intensive to be effectively used for large complex computations. This is why, despite their impressive privacy protective qualities, they have not yet seen extensive use in biometric template protection.
The Worldcoin Foundation, along with contributor-technologists from TACEO and Tools for Humanity, have successfully architected a new implementation of SMPC to address the scale and cost constraints that have previously hindered others. The new SMPC system, which encrypts iris codes into secret shares held by multiple parties, enabled the Worldcoin Foundation to permanently delete iris codes generated through its previous uniqueness-checking system.
“The community supporting Worldcoin will never stop developing, testing and deploying the most advanced technologies focusing on security, privacy and data protection as it works to improve trust online and increase access to the global economy,” said Jannick Preiwisch, Data Protection Officer of the Worldcoin Foundation. “Implementation of the new SMPC system enabled the Worldcoin Foundation to delete old iris codes by permanently encrypting them to SMPC shares that by themselves cannot be related to an identified person. The development of this new system demonstrates an unparalleled commitment to further compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation and other data protection regimes across the world. It also complements advancements aimed at providing consumers increased choice and control over their data including personal custody and the ability to unverify their World IDs.”
About the Worldcoin Foundation
The Worldcoin Foundation, a steward of the Worldcoin protocol, aims to realize more inclusive, fair and just institutions of governance and of the global digital economy.
About the Worldcoin Protocol
The Worldcoin protocol is intended to be the world’s largest, most inclusive identity and financial public utility and to be accessible by everyone. Worldcoin was originally conceived by Sam Altman, Alex Blania and Max Novendstern. The Worldcoin protocol is designed to empower individuals and organizations around the world with the tools they need to participate in the digital economy and advance humanity's progress. Find out more about Worldcoin at www.worldcoin.org, on Twitter/X, Discord, YouTube and Telegram.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240515285506/en/
Contact information
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Seoul Semiconductor: Philips Lighting Products Ordered to Recall 7-Year-Old Items26.12.2024 08:00:00 CET | Press Release
The German District Court of Düsseldorf, on November 19 ruled in favor of Seoul Semiconductor (KOSDAQ:046890) in the patent infringement lawsuits, and also ordered that products manufactured by Philips Lighting and sold since March 2017 be recalled and destroyed. The Court also ruled that a fine of up to €250,000 would be imposed for each violation of this order. On December 17, the German Federal Patent Court also affirmed the validity of these patents, which solidifies the strength of many related patents. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241225151382/en/ Application Examples with CRI 70 or Higher (Photo: Seoul Semiconductor) These court orders relate to the core technology used to achieve CRI 70 (Color Rendering Index 70%) or higher, applicable to all home lighting, automotive lighting products, IT flash, and backlights. Since the effects of these judgments are applicable to all products infringing on the pa
ispace-EUROPE and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) Sign Payload Services Agreement to Transport a Laser Retroreflector Array (LaRA2) on the Moon Surface26.12.2024 08:00:00 CET | Press Release
ispace EUROPE S.A. (ispace-EUROPE), the Luxembourg-based subsidiary of ispace, inc., and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) have signed a payload services agreement to transport a Laser Retroreflector Array (LaRA2) to enable accurate position measurements on the Moon via laser ranging experiments, the two organizations announced today. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241225137548/en/ The shape of LaRA2, a palm-sized dome (Photo: Business Wire) The agreement marks the first full-scale contract between ispace-EUROPE and ASI, with both organizations looking to joint future lunar development. LaRA2 is a small, robust, and lightweight instrument built to work without any power source and to survive the harsh surface conditions on the Moon for an extended period of time. It features a precise array of retroreflectors (corner cube prisms) designed to reflect laser beams directly back to their source, regardless of the an
Datopotamab Deruxtecan Application in the EU for Patients with Advanced Nonsquamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Voluntarily Withdrawn24.12.2024 08:00:00 CET | Press Release
Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) and AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) have voluntarily withdrawn the marketing authorization application (MAA) in the EU for datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on the TROPION-Lung01 phase 3 trial. The decision to withdraw the MAA was informed by feedback from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca will continue to work to bring datopotamab deruxtecan to patients with lung cancer in the EU who can benefit and are committed to unlocking the potential of this medicine in lung cancer through our robust clinical development program which includes seven pivotal trials in various lung cancer settings. Datopotamab deruxtecan is a specifically engineered TROP2 directed DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo and being jointly developed by Dai
Vertex to Present at the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on January 1323.12.2024 22:05:00 CET | Press Release
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced that Dr. Reshma Kewalramani, Chief Executive Officer and President, will present at the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Monday, January 13, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. ET/7:30 a.m. PT. A live webcast of management's remarks will be available through the Vertex website, www.vrtx.com in the "Investors" section under the "News and Events" page. A replay of the conference webcast will be archived on the company's website. About Vertex Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has approved medicines that treat the underlying causes of multiple chronic, life-shortening genetic diseases — cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia — and continues to advance clinical and research programs in these diseases. Vertex also has a robust clinical pipeline of investigational
Perma-Pipe International Holdings, Inc. Announces Third Quarter Financial Results23.12.2024 18:43:00 CET | Press Release
Perma-Pipe International Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PPIH) announced today financial results for the second quarter and fiscal year-to-date period ended October 31, 2024. "Net sales for the third quarter were $41.6 million, a decrease of $4.1 million, as compared to the same quarter last year. Net income attributable to common stock of $2.5 million was an increase of $0.5 million, or 29%, compared to $1.9 million in the third quarter of 2023. For the nine months ended October 31, 2024, net sales of $113.4 million represent an increase of 3% compared to the nine months ended October 31, 2023. The net income attributable to common stock of $7.2 million was an increase of $5.4 million, or 294%, compared to net income attributable to common stock of $1.8 million in the nine months ended October 31, 2023,” noted President and CEO David Mansfield. “Backlog in the third quarter shows considerable growth and now stands at $114.2 million. This is the equivalent to approximately nine months revenue
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom