Summary of the Article
- Kenya suspended Worldcoin activities after a surge in signups due to security concerns.
- The Kenya’s Ministry of Interior and Capital Markets Authority have warned against Worldcoin activities.
- France is also investigating Worldcoin for data collection privacy issues.
Worldcoin Activities Suspended in Kenya
The registration exercise for Worldcoin in Kenya took place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre. Registered users were entitled to 25 free Worldcoin tokens worth about $2 amounting to about Sh7000. However, on August 2, Kenya’s minister of internal security announced on Facebook that the country had suspended Worldcoin operations until relevant government agencies had verified that there were no risks to Kenyans. The statement from the cabinet secretary Ministry of Interior, Kithure Kindiki read: “Relevant security, financial services, and data protection agencies have started inquiries and investigations to establish the authenticity and legality of the aforesaid activities… Appropriate action will be taken on any natural or juristic person who furthers, aids, abets or otherwise engages in or is connected with the activities afore described.”
Capital Markets Authority Warning Against Registration
The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) in Nairobi had also warned against the ongoing registration stating that Worldcoin and its products were not regulated under the Capital Markets Act. On their official twitter page they wrote “The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) warns against the ongoing Worldcoin-related registration in Kenya. The regulator says Worldcoin & its products are NOT regulated under the Capital Markets Act.“
Data Collection Privacy Concerns
Data collection privacy has been a concern by other countries as well concerning this project. France’s privacy watchdog has also questioned Worldcoins data collection and is currently investigating them for it.