Kenya's Interior secretary has announced that the country rejected a request from the United States government to revoke its suspension of cryptocurrency project Worldcoin's activities. The suspension, imposed in August 2023, remains in effect until assurances of the safety and integrity of financial deals are provided. Kenya is specifically concerned about Worldcoin collecting crucial identification information like iris scans in exchange for a digital ID. The project gained notoriety in Kenya, prompting the formation of a parliamentary committee and legal action by the data commissioner's office. Worldcoin's mission, co-founded by Sam Altman of OpenAI, aims to create a digital ID system based on proof-of-personhood to differentiate humans from AI.
Kenya Rejects US Pressure to Lift Suspension on Worldcoin Activities
Kenya's Interior secretary has announced that the country rejected a request from the United States government to revoke its suspension of cryptocurrency project Worldcoin's activities. The suspension, imposed in August 2023, remains in effect until assurances of the safety and integrity of financial deals are provided.
According to Cabinet Secretary of Interior and Administration of National Government, Kithure Kindiki, Kenya encountered pressure from the US government to remove the suspension on Worldcoin's activities. Kindiki emphasized that the government is specifically concerned about Worldcoin collecting crucial identification information like iris scans in exchange for a digital ID.
Following the suspension of Worldcoin's activities, Kenya formed a parliamentary committee to investigate the controversial crypto project. Additionally, legal action was taken by the data commissioner's office, resulting in a court order to preserve the data collected by Worldcoin pending completion of the lawsuit.
Worldcoin gained notoriety in Kenya as hundreds registered for the program by scanning their iris using Worldcoin's Orb device. The project, officially launched in July 2023, was co-founded by Sam Altman of OpenAI with a mission to create a digital ID system based on proof-of-personhood to differentiate humans from AI.
The rejection of US pressure underscores Kenya's commitment to ensuring the safety and integrity of financial transactions and protecting citizens' privacy rights in the face of emerging cryptocurrency projects like Worldcoin.
(AMAKA NWAOKOCHA, COINTELEGRAPH, 2024)