The parliamentary committee in Kenyan government has called for a shutdown of Worldcoin operations in the country. Worldcoin is a biometric cryptocurrency project founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
The committee was formed in August to investigate the operations and activities of Worldcoin in Kenya. The order, which was issued on October 2, 2023, is aimed at protecting the citizens of Kenya from possible criminal operations.
According to a report released on September 30, 2023, the project has refused to heed the warning to stop collecting personal data from residents of Kenya.
The committee further issued a directive to authorities to investigate the company for possible criminal activities as well as halt the operation of the project.
According to the report: “The Worldcoin online platform, despite a court order and other administrative directives to halt operation, has continued the registration of Kenyans.”
The report further expressed the government’s concerns for its citizens. It added that although it is difficult to round up the number of “orbs” in the country, the user’s submission iris verification process is a high risk.
On this note, policymakers in the country advised that there is a need to implement a transparent and effective framework for digital assets and virtual asset providers.
They further advised that regulations should be put in place to checkmate cybercrime activities and meet tax requirements.
According to policymakers, The unregulated adoption of Crypto assets in an attempt to totally decentralize the global monetary system poses a threat.
Similarly, on August 3, 2023, Kenya had previously called for the shutdown of Worldcoin due to high number of sign-ups.
Worldcoin was created with the intention of differentiating between real people and AI bots. This is why the crypto project adopted retinal verification technology and has had many sign-ups since July.
Globally, since its launch, the project has drawn many controversial talks, and some experts say that the project in its entirety violates data protection and privacy.
Although some countries have started launching investigations into the activities of this project, other countries like Germany, Argentina, and the United Kingdom have neither raised concerns nor launched inquiries into its activities.
Also Read : Kenya Forms Committee to Investigate Worldcoin Operations
