Worldcoin, an ambitious project dabbling in digital identity and cryptocurrency, is facing its first major hiccup as it finds its operations abruptly suspended in Kenya.
Worldcoin Operations are suspended in Kenya
The internal security minister of Kenya made it public through a Facebook post on August 2 that Worldcoin’s activities were on hold. The decision will remain in effect until thorough investigations assure that Kenyan citizens aren’t at risk.
Kithure Kindiki, the minister, indicated in his statement that several agencies dealing with security, data protection, and financial services have kickstarted their probes. The goal is to determine the authenticity and legality of Worldcoin’s ongoing activities.
The Kenyan government’s primary apprehension surrounds Worldcoin’s method of collecting sensitive identification data, particularly iris scans, which are then exchanged for a digital ID.
The minister’s statement sent out a stern warning. It stated that any person or entity that supports, aids, or partakes in the aforementioned activities could face due action.
Worldcoin officially marked its entry into the crypto space on July 24, 2023, following a three-year development period. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, which has the renowned AI chatbot ChatGPT to its credit, is one of the co-founders of Worldcoin.
Worldcoin’s blueprint is built on a future vision, one where distinguishing between humans and AI-driven bots could become exceedingly complex. To address this, Worldcoin has devised a proof-of-personhood-based digital ID system. This unique digital ID is obtained by scanning an individual’s iris, following which they are assigned a World ID.