Worldcoin, a digital identity project and cryptocurrency, has achieved a significant victory in Kenya after the suspension order it received in 2023. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) of the National Police Service issued an official statement confirming that the investigation into Worldcoin has been dropped. The statement, dated June 14, 2024, was in response to an update request from Worldcoin’s lawyers regarding the investigation filed in May 2024. The DCI stated that Kenya’s public prosecution unit agreed with their findings and ordered the closure of the Worldcoin case without any further police action.
According to the DCI, they conducted a thorough and impartial investigation into various allegations against Worldcoin in Kenya during 2022/3. These allegations included the unlawful collection and transfer of personal sensitive data. Following the conclusion of the investigation, the Kenyan police recommended that Worldcoin register its business in the country, obtain proper licensing with coordination from the office of the Data Protection Commission and the Communication Authority of Kenya. They also advised Worldcoin to conduct thorough vetting and establish legal contracts with all third-party vendors operating in Kenya.
Tools for Humanity, the developer of Worldcoin, expressed gratitude for the fair investigation conducted by the DCI and the determination of the Director of Public Prosecutions to close the matter. Thomas Scott, Chief Legal Officer at Tools for Humanity, expressed optimism about the future operations of Worldcoin in Kenya. He stated that they are looking forward to continuing their mission of providing tools to differentiate humans from artificial intelligence by utilizing IRIS (Intelligent Retrieval Information System) scanning to issue World IDs, allowing individuals to prove their authenticity online.
Worldcoin faced regulatory challenges and privacy concerns in various countries, including India, South Korea, Germany, Brazil, and Hong Kong. The platform was banned in Kenya shortly after its launch, but it has been working with the Kenyan government to resume operations in 2024. Despite these initial hurdles, the Worldcoin network has experienced significant growth since its launch. As of April 2024, the Worldcoin World App has garnered 10 million registered users, with an average of 2 million daily users and over 5 million monthly active users.
For more insights into the Worldcoin project and its mission, listeners can look forward to an upcoming episode of the Decentralize with Cointelegraph podcast, where Tools for Humanity, a key contributor to Worldcoin, will be featured.