“Spain has banned Worldcoin for up to three months, drawing a sharp rebuke from Sam Altman's company, amid perceived privacy risks from the venture which scans irises in exchange for a digital ID and free cryptocurrency.
Spanish data protection regulator AEPD said on Wednesday it demanded Worldcoin immediately cease the collection of personal information and stop using data it has already gathered.
Worldcoin said in response to the ban that the AEPD was ‘circumventing EU law’ and ‘spreading inaccurate and misleading claims about our technology.’
The AEPD said its action came after several complaints regarding insufficient information, the collection of data from minors or not allowing for the withdrawal of consent.
More than 4 million people in 120 countries have signed up to have their irises scanned by Worldcoin's ’orb’ devices, according to its website. But the project has drawn criticism from privacy campaigners from Argentina to Germany over the collection, storage and use of personal data.
Worldcoin's Data Protection Officer Jannick Preiwisch said in a statement that efforts to engage with AEPD had gone unanswered for months.
‘We are grateful to now have the opportunity to help them better understand the important facts regarding this essential and lawful technology,’ Preiwisch said.
The Spanish regulator said the processing of biometric data, which has special protection under the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), ‘entails high risks for people's rights, taking into account their sensitive nature.’”
THINGS TO PONDER:
There’s a reason that Spain has joined other countries in banning WorldCoin…
Prior performance is an indicator of future performance.
“This is what’s been happening behind the scenes, which represents the steps towards the loss of basic freedoms… economic, social, and personal…
“For your safety.”
It sounds great until you realize the real goal… which is something like a universal basic income, because “AI is going to do everything, and it will combat inequality…”
While someone like Sam Altman controls the process and the cryptocurrency because he will do the government’s bidding.
“Washington's Secretary of State has weaponized artificial intelligence (AI) to conduct mass surveillance ahead of the US 2024 Presidential Election.
The state's AI is targeting journalists, conservative activists, and voters for ‘narratives’ the state finds problematic regarding election security and integrity following factual reporting and social media posts, according to information obtained via a public disclosure request (PDR).
Steve Hobbs, the WA Secretary of State, entered into a contract with UK Artificial Intelligence company, LogicallyAI, a controversial company that monitors social media accounts to ‘identify harmful online narratives about the election process and online threats to election officials and the election process.’
LogicallyAI was used by the British government to censor its citizens on social media during the Covid-19 pandemic on claims of spreading misinformation about the virus.
Washington State has now weaponized LogicallyAI to target its citizens and journalists through mass surveillance. Officials have warned that LogicallyAI has the power to shape the 2024 US Presidential Election and now those concerns are coming to fruition.
Critics also claim that the state contract is unconstitutional because it violates a person's right to freedom of speech.”
THINGS TO PONDER:
Earlier this week, the State of Washington passed its “bias bill,” described by The Seattle Times as follows:
Under Washington law, hate crimes are actions in which a perpetrator maliciously and intentionally causes physical injury or damage because of a victim’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or disability. Established as a category in Washington in 2019, hate crimes also include hate-related threats that cause a victim to reasonably fear harm. They’re felony offenses punishable by up to five years in prison.”
And Ripped From The Headlines shared the following insight:
“Vague language is going to lead to big trouble in Washington… and beyond.
As we’ve mentioned in previous editions of Ripped From The Headlines, in a world where you have no idea of what you are going to say, write, or do next is going to be deemed ”hate speech,” freedom of speech, or expression, or the right to defend yourself… is dead.
This isn’t a racial or political issue… it's about those who make and enforce the law.
You basically have no idea what’s going to be a crime… or how you’ll be dealt with… And Washington isn’t the only place where you’re going to see this happen…
Unless you pay attention and call it out.”
And now, it looks like the State of Washington is doubling down.
Worse yet, they are likely setting a trend… which ends in a very dark place.
“Struggling regional lender New York Community Bancorpannounced a $1 billion capital raise and a leadership shakeup on Wednesday, headlined by former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, leading to a sharp rebound for its stock.
NYCB has agreed to a deal with several investment firms including Mnuchin’s Liberty Strategic Capital, Hudson Bay Capital and Reverence Capital Partners for over $1 billion in exchange for equity in the regional bank, according to a press release Wednesday afternoon.
The stock jumped after the announcement and was halted for volatility up nearly 30% for the day. It gave back much of those gains and then was halted again, up about 4% for the day.
Prior to the press release, the stock was halted down 42% on the day, amid reports from Reuters and the Wall Street Journal that NYCB was exploring a capital raise.”
THINGS TO PONDER:
There’s a reason it’s important to understand the underlying narrative of a story…
The real news is this:
“The stock jumped after the announcement and was halted for volatility up nearly 30% for the day. It gave back much of those gains and then was halted again, up about 4% for the day.”
And this:
“The struggles for NYCB may have caught regulators off guard as well as investors. The regional lender acquired much of Signature Bank out of receivership from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation last March.”
Because someone saw the opportunity to benefit from making their move now:
The cash infusion is the latest development in a turbulent start to the year for NYCB. The bank disclosed in late January that it was dramatically raising the allowance for potential loan losses on its balance sheet, with its exposure to commercial real estate being a potential issue. That was followed shortly by Moody’s Investors Service downgrading the bank’s credit rating to junk status, and NYCB naming former Flagstar bank CEO Alessandro DiNello as executive chairman.
Then last week, NYCB disclosed that it had ‘identified material weaknesses in the company’s internal controls related to internal loan review’ and announced that DiNello was taking over as CEO, for what proved to be a brief tenure.
As the old saying goes, “Around just long enough for a cup of coffee…”
The bank acquired toxic assets and got sick…
And, as we shared during the banking crisis last year, the issues are systemic… just like The Walking Dead, the banks have the virus but they just haven’t died yet.
That’s going to start changing after March 11th.
Brace For Impact, and Click Here to take a look at our coverage of what’s coming.
Issues with critters? Sick of using things that can easily make you sick or kill you?
Dr. Killigan’s is THE all-natural solution. Check out what a customer had to say about their “Six Feet Under” non-toxic insect spray:
I bought this to get rid of the ants that built a nest in my flagstone patio and sidewalk. I have granddaughters and pets, and I didn't want to use chemicals that could make them sick if they were exposed. I've used other natural pesticides in the past with mild success but this stuff definitely does the trick! I've only had to spray one time over a month ago...still no sign of the ants returning. 10/10, will be purchasing more.”
Share this email with everyone you know. Sign up for a free or paid subscription. Paid members will receive our in-depth solutions.
Ripped From The Headlines is your daily digest of what’s happening in the world. We help you to understand what it means, why you should care, and what you should do.
Have a tip on a story, case, or issue that needs to be covered? Email us: asksherloc@protonmail.com. Confidentially assured.
