World, the iris-scanning company co-founded by OpenAI chief executive officer Sam Altman, said Zoom and several big financial firms, including Bain Capital and VanEck Funds, are adopting its "proof of humanity" technology to keep out malicious bots and deepfakes. On Zoom calls, people who pass World ID checks will appear with a blue badge showing they are human and who they claim to be. Companies can decide when to require proof, and reserve it for sensitive calls. The system relies on an orb device, about the size of a football, that scans irises. World says its cryptography creates no central database and the company cannot read the encrypted identities. Users verify through a phone app that checks against the encrypted record. The financial firms will keep orbs in their offices to enrol employees.

World Network, the Sam Altman-backed digital identity project formerly known as Worldcoin, has raised $52.5 million in fresh funding. The protocol uses custom hardware called an Orb to verify unique individuals and distinguish humans from AI bots without compromising privacy. The investment arrives as World shifts from building to scaling utility. The network now has over 39 million members, with more than 18 million humans verified by an Orb. Since launch, it has processed over 475 million World ID proofs. In April, World unveiled a major upgrade positioning its system as "full-stack proof of human" infrastructure for consumers, enterprises, and AI agents.

World, the digital identity network co-founded by Sam Altman, has opened a flagship store at 48 Oxford Street in London. The location offers visitors iris scans via spherical "Orb" devices, issuing World ID credentials that verify users as unique humans rather than bots. The company reports over 18 million verified humans globally. World ID integrates with platforms including Tinder and ticketing services. A Tools for Humanity survey found 79% of UK adults believe proving real identity online is increasingly important. The opening comes amid regulatory challenges. Authorities in Kenya, Portugal, Spain, Brazil and Hong Kong have banned or suspended operations over biometric data concerns. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office has not publicly cleared the iris-scanning model. World plans expansion to Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Belfast and Glasgow.