Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency and digital identity project co-founded by Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has achieved a significant victory in Kenya after the suspension order against it was lifted in 2023.
According to an official statement from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) of the National Police Service, the Kenyan police have terminated their investigation into Worldcoin. The statement, dated June 14, 2024, was in response to an update request from Worldcoin lawyers regarding the status of the investigation that was filed in May 2024. The DCI confirmed that Kenya’s public prosecution unit agreed and ordered the closure of the Worldcoin case without any further police action.
“The DCI conducted a thorough and impartial investigation into various allegations regarding Worldcoin’s activities in Kenya between 2022 and 2023, which included claims of illegal collection and transfer of sensitive personal data,” stated the authority.
Following the conclusion of the investigation, the Kenyan police recommended that Worldcoin register its business in the country and obtain proper licenses in coordination with the office of the Data Protection Commission and the Communication Authority of Kenya. Additionally, the authority advised conducting rigorous screening and legal contracting of all third-party vendors operating within Kenya.
Tools for Humanity, the developer of Worldcoin, is hopeful about bringing the cryptocurrency back to Kenya. “We appreciate the fair investigation conducted by the DCI and the determination of the Director of Public Prosecutions to close the case,” said Thomas Scott, chief legal officer at Tools for Humanity. In a statement to Cointelegraph, Scott expressed optimism about the future operations of Worldcoin in Kenya.
The Worldcoin project was officially launched in July 2023 after three years of development. Its mission revolves around providing tools to distinguish humans from artificial intelligence by scanning an individual’s IRIS (Intelligent Retrieval Information System). After the scan is completed, Worldcoin issues a World ID, enabling individuals to prove their real human identity online.
Worldcoin’s unique digital ID offering raised concerns among global regulators regarding the privacy and protection of users’ data. Shortly after its launch, Worldcoin was banned in Kenya, as the local government suspended all local activities associated with the platform, including biometric identification. However, Worldcoin stated that it was working with the Kenyan government to resume operations in 2024.
Worldcoin has faced issues in multiple jurisdictions worldwide due to privacy concerns. Apart from Kenya, other countries such as India, South Korea, Germany, and Brazil have also investigated the company’s data collection practices. In May 2024, Worldcoin was ordered to cease operations in Hong Kong due to privacy violations.
Despite initial challenges in some countries, the Worldcoin network has experienced significant growth since its launch. As of April 2024, the Worldcoin World App had accumulated a total of 10 million registered users, with an average of 2 million daily users and over 5 million monthly active users.
For more information about the project and its mission, stay tuned for an upcoming episode of the Decentralize with Cointelegraph podcast, where we will be discussing Worldcoin with Tools for Humanity, a key contributor to the project.
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