World ID vs My Number: A Comprehensive Comparison
Answering the question 'How is World ID different from Japan's My Number?' A detailed comparison from the perspectives of purpose, mechanism, and privacy protection.
Table of Contents
1. Conclusion: Two Fundamentally Different Systems
World ID and My Number are fundamentally different systems despite similar names. My Number is an ID for "the government to identify citizens," while World ID is an ID to "anonymously prove you are human."
My Number
A 12-digit personal number issued by the Japanese government. Its purpose is to identify and distinguish individuals for government services and tax management.
World ID
A global ID provided by the Worldcoin project. Its purpose is to prove only that "you are human" without revealing personal information.
2. Difference in Purpose
Purpose of My Number
- βAdministrative Efficiency
Linking personal information across multiple government agencies to simplify procedures
- βTax and Social Security Management
Income tracking, pension management, proper health insurance operation
- βUnified Identity Verification
Official identification through the My Number Card
Purpose of World ID
- βProof of Being Human
Prove you are a real human, not AI or a bot
- βOne Account Per Person Guarantee
Preventing multiple account creation (Sybil attacks)
- βPrivacy-Preserving Authentication
Complete authentication without disclosing personal information
3. Difference in Mechanism
How My Number Works
A 12-digit number is assigned to everyone with a resident record
The number remains the same for life (in principle)
Linked to personal information in government databases
Identity verification with the My Number Card
How World ID Works
Orb verifies you are human
Zero-knowledge proof anonymously verifies 'human'
4. Difference in Privacy Protection
From a privacy perspective, the two approaches are polar opposites.
My Number
- β Designed to identify individuals
- β Government manages personal information
- β Usage history can be tracked
- β Risk of number leakage
World ID
- β Designed not to identify individuals
- β Biometric data is not stored
- β Cannot be tracked across services
- β Anonymity ensured through zero-knowledge proofs
What is Zero-Knowledge Proof?
A cryptographic technique that proves "you possess certain information" without disclosing the information itself. With World ID, you can prove "I am a registered human" without revealing personal information. See ourSecurity Technology Guidefor details.
5. Comparison Table
| Item | My Number | World ID |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Japanese Government | World (Private) |
| Target Users | Residents in Japan | All humans worldwide |
| Purpose | Administrative efficiency / ID | Proof of humanity / Anonymous auth |
| Auth Method | Card + PIN | Iris authentication (Orb) |
| Personal ID | Yes | No |
| Mandatory Use | Required in some cases | Completely voluntary |
| Cost | Free | Free (receive WLD) |
| Validity | Card: 10/5 years | None (permanent) |
| Privacy | Government managed | Self-managed |
6. Difference in Use Cases
My Number Use Cases
- πTax filing / Year-end adjustment
- πUse as health insurance card
- πOpening bank accounts
- πOpening securities accounts
- πOnline government applications
- πAs identification document
World ID Use Cases
- πHuman verification for web services
- πBot prevention on social media
- πOnline voting
- πReceiving airdrops and rewards
- πUsing DeFi / Web3 services
- πProof of humanity in AI era
7. Coexisting Relationship
My Number and World ID are not competing systems, but rather tools to use for different purposes.
Examples of Use Cases
Government procedures / Tax-related
β Use My Number
International web services / Anonymous auth
β Use World ID
When privacy is a priority
β Use World ID
There is no problem having both. Being able to choose the appropriate authentication method depending on the situation is actually an advantage in our digital society.
Summary
World ID and My Number are completely different ID systems in both purpose and mechanism.
- My Number: An ID for the government to identify and manage individuals
- World ID: An ID that proves you're human without identifying you personally
If you're interested in World ID, please see ourRegistration Guide.
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