Worldcoin Resumes Operations in Kenya After Probe Closure

LUCKNOW (CoinChapter.com) — Worldcoin, the cryptocurrency and digital identity project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has secured a major win in Kenya. The East African nation has decided to drop its investigation into the company and allowed it to resume activities in the country.

No More Police Action

In an official statement dated June 14, 2024, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) of the National Police Service announced the closure of the Worldcoin probe. The decision came after the public prosecution unit concurred with the DCI’s recommendation to end the investigation without further police action.

The DCI stated that it had “expeditiously and objectively investigated an array of allegations into the activities of Worldcoin in Kenya in 2022/3 and touching on alleged unlawful collection and transfer of personal sensitive data.”

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Case Closure Is “Not An End, But A Beginning”

While closing the case, the Kenyan authorities advised Worldcoin to ensure proper business registration, licensing, and coordination with relevant regulatory bodies. These include the Data Protection Commission and the Communication Authority of Kenya.

Additionally, the company was instructed to conduct intensive vetting and establish legal contracts with all third-party vendors operating within Kenya.

Thomas Scott, chief legal officer at Worldcoin developer Tools for Humanity, expressed gratitude for the DCI’s fair investigation and the public prosecutor’s determination to close the matter.

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.

Scott said.

Worldcoin Facing Challenges in Other Countries As Well

Worldcoin officially launched in July 2023 after three years of development. Its mission is to provide tools to differentiate humans from artificial intelligence by scanning individuals’ irises and issuing a World ID, allowing them to prove their humanity online.

However, Worldcoin’s unique digital ID offering triggered concerns from global regulators over privacy and data protection issues. Shortly after its launch, Kenya banned Worldcoin and halted all local activities, including biometric identification. Authorities cited concerns over data collection practices. In addition to Kenya, several countries, including India, South Korea, Germany, Brazil, Spain, and Hong Kong, have investigated or banned Worldcoin’s operations due to privacy violations.

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Despite the initial challenges, the Worldcoin network has grown significantly. As of April 2024, the World App had 10 million registered users. Out of them, 2 million are daily users and over 5 million are monthly active users.