Zoom integrates biometric verification via retina scanning from Sam Altman

The Zoom video conferencing platform is implementing an identity verification system from the World project, created by OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman. Users who prove they are real people will receive a special blue badge directly during a call. Corporate clients will be able to determine at their discretion which meetings will require such biometric verification as a mandatory condition for joining.

Major financial institutions, including Bain Capital and VanEck Funds, have already begun adopting the new technology. To do this, the investment funds plan to install branded Orb devices in their offices, allowing employees to quickly scan their irises and complete registration in the system.

Identification in World ID is based on a three-step algorithm: verification of official documents, creation of a selfie, and matching the photo with the biometric imprint obtained via the Orb scanner. Despite developers claiming the use of end-to-end encryption and the absence of a centralized database, the initiative continues to spark heated discussions among personal data protection experts. The service itself operates on blockchain technology and is released under open-source licenses.