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A parliamentary panel in Kenya has urged the country’s information technology regulator to halt the operations of cryptocurrency project Worldcoin within the country until stricter regulations are implemented. The government had already suspended the project in August due to concerns over privacy, as it required users to undergo iris scanning in exchange for a digital ID. Worldcoin, created by Tools for Humanity and co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has faced scrutiny in other countries including the UK, Germany, and France. Despite the suspension, the project remains accessible online in Kenya.
An ad hoc committee of 18 lawmakers has called on the regulatory Communications Authority of Kenya to “disable the virtual platforms of Tools for Humanity Corp and Tools for Humanity GmbH Germany (Worldcoin), including blacklisting the IP addresses of related websites.” The committee also recommended suspending Worldcoin’s physical presence in Kenya until a legal framework for regulating virtual assets and service providers is established.
Worldcoin’s press office stated that it had not received any official announcements directly from the committee. The committee’s report will be presented to the National Assembly for consideration and adoption at a later date.
During the suspension of data collection in August, authorities expressed concerns that Worldcoin’s method of obtaining consumer consent, by offering a monetary award of just over $50 at the time, was bordering on inducement. The process of registering on the platform involved long queues of individuals undergoing iris scanning. The committee’s investigation revealed that Worldcoin may have scanned the eyes of minors, as there was no age-verification mechanism in place during the process.
The committee also called on government ministries to develop regulations for crypto assets and firms providing crypto services. It further urged the police to investigate Tools for Humanity and pursue any necessary legal action.
Reported by Duncan Miriri; Edited by Aaron Ross and Hugh Lawson
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
