Kenya Ends Investigation into Worldcoin

The Kenyan prosecutor’s office has ordered the closure of the case against Worldcoin without further police action, reports Cointelegraph.

The crypto startup co-founded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman received permission from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to conduct iris scanning and other operations in the country following a government investigation into privacy concerns initiated in early August 2023.

“The DCI conducted a prompt and objective investigation into a series of allegations against Worldcoin regarding activities in Kenya during 2022-2023, concerning the alleged illegal collection and transfer of confidential data. The case was referred to the Attorney General’s office for independent review and recommendations. After reviewing the case, the Director of Public Prosecutions ordered its closure without any further police action,” stated the regulator’s official statement.

For further operations, Worldcoin must register its business in the country, obtain all necessary licenses, vet suppliers, and enter into contracts with them.

“We are grateful to the DCI for a fair investigation and the decision to close the case. This long-awaited outcome is not the end but the beginning. We will continue to work with the Kenyan government and other countries and hope to soon resume World ID registration across the country,” commented Thomas Scott, Chief Legal Officer of the developer company Tools for Humanity.

On July 24, 2023, Sam Altman’s cryptocurrency project announced its official launch and the release of its native token WLD. A few weeks later, Kenyan authorities suspended Worldcoin’s activities, concerned about the company’s data collection practices. The government formed a committee to investigate Worldcoin.

In addition to Kenya, authorities in the UK, France, Germany, and Argentina have shown interest in the company’s activities. Portugal and Spain ordered a halt to personal data collection.

In December, Worldcoin disabled the biometric verification feature using orbs for users in India, Brazil, and France.

Back in May 2024, Altman and Argentina’s President Javier Milei discussed Worldcoin investments in the country.