The Worldcoin cryptocurrency initiative has encountered further difficulties, this time in Kenya, where the government has established a 15-member parliamentary committee to scrutinize the contentious digital asset.
This committee, chaired by Gabriel Tongoyo, a member of parliament representing Narok West, has been tasked with investigating the Worldcoin crypto project. The local news has reported that this parliamentary committee is allotted 42 days to conduct its investigation and present its findings to a House committee.
The Kenyan inquiry into the Worldcoin project comes about three weeks after the country suspended the project's operations due to its failure to comply with a government directive to cease the practice of scanning users' irises. Kithure Kindiki, a prominent figure in suspending World coin's activities, highlighted concerns about the project's activities, asserting that they posed significant security risks as they involved registering citizens and collecting iris data.
Worldcoin has encountered extensive resistance from Kenyan regulatory bodies beyond just the parliamentary committee. The Data Commissioner's Office even filed a lawsuit against the project, resulting in a court-ordered suspension of Worldcoin's activities. s the preservation of data collected by the project between April of the previous year and August 2023 until the lawsuit reaches its conclusion.
The Worldcoin initiative, which is centered around digital identification and includes its proprietary cryptocurrency called WLD coin, has faced a mixed response. While it garnered nearly 2 million users during its pilot phase, it has also faced significant criticism and controversy. As the project expanded to various countries, reports emerged regarding its questionable practices, prompting government investigations in nations like Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Germany, and now Kenya.
