Key Takeaways
Reddit may adopt World ID’s iris-scanning technology to verify users while preserving anonymity.
The move addresses rising concerns around AI-generated content and age verification regulations.
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Reddit, the popular social media platform, is exploring adopting World ID to verify its users, also known as “redditors,” without exposing their identity, Semafor reported Friday, citing two people with knowledge of the effort.
Developed by Tools for Humanity, the team behind the crypto project Worldcoin, now rebranded as World, and co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, World ID is a verification system that uses iris-scanning Orbs to confirm that a user is a real, unique human being, not a bot or AI while maintaining their anonymity.
The potential partnership between Reddit and Tools for Humanity comes as online platforms face increasing challenges from AI-generated content and new government regulations requiring age verification.
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman recently acknowledged that AI and age verification laws would require the company to verify user authenticity and age.
“We will do our best to preserve both the humanness and anonymity of Reddit,” Huffman wrote on the platform.
World ID’s technology works by scanning a user’s iris to create an encrypted representation, which is then fragmented and stored on secure servers globally. Users receive a unique World ID stored in an encrypted vault on their smartphones. The system can verify age and other credentials anonymously, with the Orb’s age detection software refusing to scan users it suspects are under 18.
The platform also offers the option to use the World app without Orb verification, though with limited functionality. A pilot program allows users to verify credentials like passports by scanning them on their local devices without sharing information.
If implemented, World ID would be one of several verification options available to Reddit users, sources said.
The development follows Reddit’s recent legal actions against researchers who used AI to impersonate users, and comes amid various US states considering or implementing new age verification requirements for internet companies.
Last month, OpenAI announced a partnership with Reddit to utilize its content for AI model training, aiming to boost AI features and improve the model’s conversational abilities.
This is a developing story. We’ll update as we learn more.
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