Worldcoin, the controversial cryptocurrency and digital identity project that was halted in Kenya shortly after launch last year, appears poised for a comeback in the country, in a move that could reignite privacy debates. Kenyan authorities dropped an investigation into the projects data collection practices, paving the way for user registration to resume.
This follows a tumultuous period for Worldcoin in Kenya. Launched in August 2023, the project promised a universal digital identity and financial network in exchange for iris scans. Founded by US tech entrepreneur Sam Altman, notable for leading OpenAI which owns the prominent ChatGPT generative AI model, Worldcoin offers free crypto tokens to people who agree to have their eyeballs scanned.
Thousands of Kenyans queued up at registration centres this week to get the currency worth about USD 49. However, Kenyan authorities suspended operations last August due to concerns about data privacy and security.
The recent development hinges on a June 14th letter from Kenyas Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) obtained by Reuters . The letter states the investigation was closed with no further police action.
We are grateful for the DCIs fair investigation and for the Director of Public Prosecutions determination to close the matter, said Thomas Scott, Worldcoins chief legal officer, in a statement. Worldcoin will resume registration of users across Kenya soon, he added.
