World ID 4.0 – that’s new
With World ID Version 4.0, this system is intended to become more scalable and more powerful in the future. Numerous optimizations have been integrated, such as:
- Key rotation (separates keys from identities),
- Multi-party entropy (ensures interactions cannot be traced), as well
- finer-grained access controls.
World ID 4.0 also includes the new “Selfie Check” verification method, which can be used instead of the Orb device on smartphones: “It is not as robust as the Orb, but not every use case today requires the gold standard that the Orb offers,” explains Shorr. In addition, World ID now also includes tools to delegate tasks to AI agents. This is particularly important in critical moments when users or platforms need to ensure that a purchase or decision was made intentionally, says the manager. Because all of this has to be financed, Tools for Humanity also announced a new monetization model for the World network: “If services or developers require World ID proof, the apps will pay a fee for this in the future – not the people.
The company behind World ID also announced new collaborations – or integrations:
- Security provider Okta is introducing “Human Principal,” a World ID-based verification method that is already available in a beta version.
- In the future, users will also be able to verify themselves in Zoom meetings using World ID Deep Face – even in real time.
World ID doesn’t convince everyone
Although the ambitious initiative is being touted as a way to make the internet safer, more democratic and inclusive, it has also faced significant criticism. Whistleblower Edward Snowden and other experts, for example, warn of data protection risks associated with biometric data. In their argument, the mass storage of iris data could pose immense security problems as well as potential for misuse and unlawful surveillance.
Further points of criticism: World ID requires blind trust in a single company. And: In the eyes of some, the collection of biometric data is used to exploit people in emerging countries. For example, the World project became popular in Kenya primarily because a reward in the form of the cryptocurrency Worldcoin (WLD) was paid out for the iris scans. The project has now been suspended or discontinued in some other countries such as Brazil, Indonesia and Spain – primarily due to data protection concerns. In fact, the Orbs, which began shipping in the third quarter of 2025, are acquired by Tools for Humanity and are owned by so-called “community operators.” They verify World IDs with the Devices and receive WLD tokens for their efforts.
David Shipley, CEO of security provider Beauceron Security, sees the protection of biometric data as crucial and points to Apple’s approach in which this data does not leave the device. With regard to World ID, however, the manager is skeptical: “That seems to me to be an extremely bad idea. Although a secure, verified digital ID is urgently needed as a trustworthy service, it should not be provided by a private company.”
