A parliamentary committee in Kenya has called on the country’s information technology regulator to shut down the operations of Worldcoin in the country until more stringent regulations are put in place.
Worldcoin allegedly continued to collect personal data of Kenyans, potentially including information from minors, “in total disregard” of an earlier suspension order, the Kenyan panel tasked with investigating the project said in a report released on Sept. 30.
The committee urged that local authorities “disable the virtual platforms” of Worldcoin and investigate its affiliate companies for possible criminal charges. The report said:
“The registration of Kenyans by Worldcoin online App is still going on despite the pendency of a court order and other administrative directions halting the same in entirety.”
In August, Kenya’s Minister of Internal Security took to Facebook to announce that the country placed a stop order on the activities of Worldcoin in the country until relevant public agencies had certified the absence of risks to residents.
The document highlighted the privacy concerns for Kenya residents but noted it was difficult or impossible to determine the number of “orbs” in the country. Notably, Worldcoin employs those orb devices to allow users to submit scans of their irises for verification.
The committee also called for the suspension of Worldcoin’s “physical presence in Kenya,” until existing cybercrime and tax reporting regulations and a comprehensive framework for digital assets and virtual asset service providers are in place. They wrote:
“The unregulated adoption and use of cryptocurrency as an attempt to fully decentralize the global monetary systems poses threat to statehood.”
Tools for Humanity, co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, launched Worldcoin in various countries worldwide. However, the project has faced scrutiny in Britain, Germany, and France, with regulators there launching their respective investigations.
The panel’s report will be presented to the National Assembly for consideration and adoption at a later date.