Kenya's Parliamentary Committee Calls for Termination of Worldcoin Operations Amid Privacy Concerns
Summary:
Kenya's parliamentary committee has advised shutting down Worldcoin operations in the country due to disregard for a cease order on the collection of personal data. The committee urged authorities to consider implementing a regulatory framework for digital assets, adapt laws to include cybercrimes and tax reporting, and raised concerns over privacy issues and Worldcoin's potential threat to state sovereignty. Worldcoin still failed to respond to these concerns while other nations, including Germany, Argentina, France, and UK, are either voicing concerns or launching investigations into the company.
The Kenyan governmental panel assigned to scrutinize the activities of Worldcoin has advised the regulatory authorities to terminate the venture's operations in the nation. A recent parliamentary document, published on September 30, indicates that Worldcoin has been relentlessly harvesting the personal information of Kenya's citizens, violating a cease order issued in May, which could also include data from underage individuals. The panel suggested that the Kenyan authorities should neutralize Worldcoin's virtual operations and probe its businesses for possible unlawful activities.
According to the document, "Despite a court order and other administrative directives stopping it entirely, the online registration of Kenyans via the Worldcoin app continues." The report stressed on the privacy risks for Kenya's people but also acknowledged the challenges in identifying the precise number of 'orbs' - devices used by the Worldcoin project enabling users to provide iris scans for identification purposes - within the country.
The panel's proposals encompassed an urge for the government to contemplate introducing a comprehensive structure for digital assets and virtual asset service providers in Kenya and adapt current regulations to incorporate cybercrimes and tax reporting stipulations. Lawmakers highlighted, "The regulation-free acceptance and usage of cryptocurrency as a bid to wholly decentralize global financial systems present a risk to state sovereignty."
Worldcoin was initiated with the aim of differentiating genuine individuals from online bots through retina scans for identity verification and had witnessed millions of registrations by July. However, the project has attracted worldwide regulator's attention who argue that it is sidestepping data protection and user privacy rules and regulations.
Regulatory bodies in countries such as Germany, Argentina, France, and the UK have either expressed apprehension about Worldcoin or initiated investigations into its operations. When contacted by Cointelegraph, Worldcoin did not respond. Bitcoin ETF advocate and Worldcoin critic, Gracy Chen, will be featured in the Hall of Flame magazine.
Published At
10/2/2023 3:55:25 PM
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