Kenyan authorities suspend Worldcoin activities

The Kenyan Ministry of Interior has temporarily restricted the local operations of Sam Altman’s Worldcoin as authorities assess potential risks to public safety. This was reported by Reuters.

Kithure Kindiki, the cabinet secretary for the interior, said the government is concerned about the company’s activities and is examining how it intends to use the data collected.

“Law enforcement agencies, financial services and data protection agencies have begun investigations to determine the authenticity and legality of the actions regarding [the collection of biometric information],” Kindiki said.

Local media reported that by early August more than 350,000 Kenyans had completed verification in the app in exchange for 25 WLD tokens, worth about 8,400 Kenyan shillings (~$59.09 at the time of writing).

Worldcoin announced the official launch on July 24. The project’s main product — the World ID protocol — is based on zero-knowledge proofs. It is a mobile tool that allows people to undergo identity verification via iris scan or phone number.

Earlier, regulators in the United Kingdom, Germany and France showed interest in the project’s activities.

In July, Altman showed a long queue in Japan of people seeking biometric verification for WLD.