World, the Sam Altman-backed biometric identification project, announced partnerships with Tinder, Zoom, and DocuSign on April 17. The three companies will use World's digital ID system to verify users, aiming to combat deepfakes, scams, and fraud. The project scans people's irises using spherical "Orb" devices and assigns them a "proof of humanity" credential.

The US deals come as World faces relentless opposition abroad. Governments across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia have banned or paused World operations over privacy concerns. Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Kenya, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand have all halted the service. Regulators found the company collected excessive biometric data without meaningful consent, and criticized $50 crypto payments as coercive. Whistleblower Edward Snowden called the project "cataloguing eyeballs."

The company claims more than 18 million verified users across 160 countries. As of April 2025, World operated roughly 7,000 Orbs across six US cities. The fragmented American regulatory landscape—with less strict biometric data laws and inconsistent state-level cryptocurrency rules compared to the EU—has allowed World to find traction in the US despite its troubled global record.