Kenya's interior minister has announced the country's refusal to comply with the United States government's request to lift the operational suspension of the cryptocurrency project Worldcoin. According to reports from the local outlet African Business Daily, Kithure Kindiki, the Cabinet Minister for Home Affairs and Administration, informed parliament of the government's decision to uphold the moratorium on Worldcoin activities, initially imposed in August 2023.
Kindiki emphasized that the suspension will persist until assurances regarding the security and integrity of financial transactions are provided. Addressing the National Assembly Public Petitions Committee, Kindiki disclosed Kenya's stance amidst pressure from the US government to revoke the suspension of Worldcoin operations. The suspension, announced on August 2, 2023, followed concerns regarding potential risks to Kenyan citizens associated with Worldcoin's collection of crucial identity information, including iris scans, in exchange for digital IDs.
In response to the suspension, the Kenyan government formed a 15-member parliamentary committee, led by MP Gabriel Tongoyo, to investigate the contentious crypto project. WorldCoin gained notoriety in Kenya as numerous venues across the country enrolled in the program, utilizing WorldCoin's Orb devices to scan iris data in exchange for 25 WorldCoin (WLD), valued at approximately Sh7,700 ($54.60) at the time.
Apart from the parliamentary inquiry, legal action was also taken against Worldcoin, leading to the suspension of its activities by the courts following a lawsuit filed by the Data Commissioner’s Office. The court further ordered the preservation of data collected by Worldcoin between April and August 2023, pending the resolution of the litigation.
Officially launched on July 24, 2023, after three years of development, the World Coin project was co-founded by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the company behind the AI-based chatbot ChatGPT. The startup's mission revolves around the expectation that advancing AI technology will blur the lines between humans and online bots. WorldCoin has introduced a digital identity system based on proof of identity, involving iris scanning to generate World IDs, aiming to distinguish between human users and AI entities.
