Kenya’s High Court orders Worldcoin to delete biometric data from 300,000+ citizens, citing violations of national data laws.
Kenya’s High Court has ruled that Worldcoin, the biometric crypto project co-founded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, must delete all biometric data it collected from over 300,000 Kenyan citizens within seven days.
Why the Ruling?
1. Violation of Kenya’s Data Protection Act (2019)
2. Lack of valid consent
3. No Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)
4. Improper financial inducement: Kenyans were offered Ksh7,000 ($50) worth of crypto in exchange for iris scans
What the Court Ordered
1. Immediate deletion of iris and facial data
2. Ban on any future collection or processing of biometric data
3. Supervision by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC)
Background
– Worldcoin launched in Kenya in 2022 using the Orb device to scan irises.
– Attracted thousands of users seeking free crypto.
– The Kenyan government suspended its operations in August 2023 over security and data concerns.
Justice Roselyne Aburili emphasized that consent must be freely given, not bought. The Katiba Institute, which filed the challenge, argued that the program exploited economically vulnerable citizens and bypassed legal safeguards.
Key Takeaway: This sets a major precedent in global digital rights enforcement — showing that even high-profile, Silicon Valley-backed crypto projects aren’t above local data protection laws.
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