NAIROBI, KENYA — The High Court of Kenya has ruled that Worldcoin must delete the biometric data of Kenyan citizens that it unlawfully gathered using its “orb” technology in September 2023.
This data deletion process will be overseen by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC).
Furthermore, the Court has barred the company from any future processing of this data without first conducting a comprehensive Data Protection Impact Assessment and obtaining legitimate consent from individuals.
During the court proceedings, the ODPC argued that Worldcoin’s data processing practices did not comply with the data protection principles outlined in Section 25 of the Data Protection Act.
The ODPC sought the court’s intervention, asserting that without it, the personal data of Kenyans collected during the Worldcoin project risked permanent erasure or modification.
In an affidavit submitted to the court, Deputy Data Commissioner Oscar Otieno stated that a review of Worldcoin’s operational activities in Kenya had led him to conclude that the project posed a risk to the safety of Kenyans’ personal data.
Worldcoin’s operations in Kenya were initially suspended after the cryptocurrency firm collected biometric data from thousands of individuals in exchange for a payment of 50 USD.
In 2024, Worldcoin, a venture owned by technology entrepreneur Sam Altman, announced its intention to resume operations in Kenya.
