Sam Altman’s Worldcoin Integrates with Identity Provider Okta, Launches World ID in Germany

The open-source protocol Worldcoin, co-founded by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has announced that it has integrated its social login tool “Sign in with Worldcoin” with the identity provider Okta’s Auth0 Marketplace.

By leveraging Worldcoin’s decentralized identity protocol, World ID, the integration brings millions of individuals who have already verified their World ID with the applications and online services that rely on Auth0 for user authentication.

According to Worldcoin, the integration offers a dual advantage: it equips developers of online apps and services with a robust mechanism to verify that users are human, safeguarding against bots. Simultaneously, it allows individuals to maintain their privacy across various apps and services as a zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) is generated on their device attesting their proof of personhood, without divulging any unnecessary personal information.

“Our integration with Okta’s Auth0 marketplace aims to help thousands of apps and services authenticate human users, streamline registrations, and ensure that individuals have peace of mind that their personal information will not be compromised. Developers are just starting to scratch the surface of what can be possible with next-generation, privacy-preserving ZK identity protocols such as World ID,” Tiago Sada, head of product at Tools for Humanity and a core contributor to Worldcoin, told Metaverse Post in an email.

To access a particular app or service via Auth0, users who have verified their World ID can simply click on the “Sign in with Worldcoin” button. 

When a QR code appears, users can conveniently scan it using either their World App or any other compatible World ID wallet. This straightforward process grants users access without any further steps. Meanwhile, developers receive a privacy-preserving nullifier hash specific to the app, ensuring persistence between sessions, along with a confidential proof of personhood.

Currently, individuals have two verification options for their World ID. They can opt for phone verification, which provides functional but limited verification. Alternatively, they can choose to undergo a comprehensive verification process using Orb, the biometric imaging device specifically designed to establish personhood for the Worldcoin project.

The Orb previously drew criticism for unclear privacy practices when plans for the device were leaked in 2021. The device supposedly stores hashed iris scans in a centralized database, meaning users could be subject to data gathering. There are also privacy risks as a retina print cannot be altered, and if compromised, that form of identity verification will be forever invalid for the user.

Organizations interested in integrating “Sign in with Worldcoin” can register their app via the Worldcoin Developer Portal and follow installation instructions.

World ID launches in Germany

Coinciding with the Okta Integration, WorldID has launched sign-ups in Germany, starting with Berlin, with plans to expand to more locations. The launch will give individuals in Germany a digitally verifiable legal ID and a proof-of-personhood credential. 

Worlcoin says that World ID and its related biometric hardware The Orb complies with German and European data protection laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). 

Interested users can identify verification locations by following Worldcoin’s social media or by consulting their World App, a World-ID compatible wallet developed by Tools for Humanity (TFH), the tech company behind the Worldcoin project. Each location will feature the Orb, which Worldcoin says plays an important role in its ecosystem.