Kenyan Authorities Drops Worldcoin Probe

Kenyan authorities have finally dropped a probe against Worldcoin, potentially paving the way for its comeback after suspending its operations in August 2023

Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency and digital identity initiative co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has achieved a significant victory in Kenya following the issuance of a suspension order in 2023.

Kenyan police have discontinued their investigation into Worldcoin, as indicated by an official statement from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) of the National Police Service.

In response to an update request from Worldcoin counsel concerning the status of the investigation filed in May 2024, the statement, dated June 14, 2024, was issued. Kenya’s public prosecution unit concurred with the DCI’s assessment and directed that the Worldcoin case be resolved without additional police intervention.

“The DCI conducted a thorough and impartial investigation into a variety of allegations regarding the activities of Worldcoin in Kenya in 2022/3, including the alleged unlawful collection and transfer of personal sensitive data,” the authority stated.

The Kenyan police recommended that Worldcoin register as a business in the country and obtain appropriate licensing, with the office of the Data Protection Commission and the Communication Authority of Kenya coordinating the process.

This recommendation was made after the conclusion of the investigation. Furthermore, the authority recommended that all third-party vendors in Kenya undergo thorough vetting and legal contracting.

Tools for Humanity hopes to bring Worldcoin back to Kenya

Thomas Scott, chief legal officer at Tools for Humanity, a Worldcoin developer, expressed his appreciation for the Director of Public Prosecutions’ resolve to resolve the matter and the DCI’s impartial investigation.

Scott expressed his optimism regarding the future operations of Worldcoin in Kenya in a statement to Cointelegraph, and he stated:

“This welcome result is, however, not an end but a beginning. We will continue working with the government of Kenya and others and we hope to resume World ID registration across the country soon.”

Following three years of development, the Worldcoin project was officially introduced in July 2023. Worldcoin’s mission is to provide tools that enable individuals to distinguish between humans and artificial intelligence by scanning their IRIS, or Intelligent Retrieval Information System.

Upon completing the scan, Worldcoin issues a World ID, enabling individuals to verify their identity as genuine human beings online.

The privacy and protection of users’ data were the subject of concern for global regulators as a result of Worldcoin’s distinctive digital ID offering.

Worldcoin was prohibited in Kenya a few weeks after its introduction, as the local government suspended all local activities associated with the platform, including biometric identification. Subsequently, Worldcoin declared it was collaborating with the Kenyan government to resume operations in 2024.

Worldcoin faced issues worldwide amid privacy fears

Kenya is one of many jurisdictions that have encountered complications with Worldcoin thus far. Several other nations, such as India, South Korea, Germany, and Brazil, were also conducting investigations into the company’s data acquisition practices.

Worldcoin was required to cease operations in Hong Kong in May 2024 due to privacy violations.

The Worldcoin network has experienced substantial growth since its inception despite a rocky start in certain countries. As of April 2024, the World App of Worldcoin had 10 million registered users, an average of 2 million daily users, and over 5 million monthly active users.

In an imminent episode of the Decentralize with Cointelegraph podcast, we will interview Tools for Humanity, a significant contributor to Worldcoin, to better understand the project and its objectives. Stay tuned for more information.