Nairobi Police Raid Worldcoin Cryptocurrency Warehouse in Kenya

Nairobi Police Raid Worldcoin Warehouse, Kenyan Government Suspends Operations

Nairobi police, along with multi-agency officials, raided a Worldcoin warehouse in the Kenyan capital last Saturday, local news outlets reported. Police officers reportedly seized documents and machines which were allegedly sent to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters for examination. Immaculate Kassait, the commissioner of Kenya’s Office of Data Protection, stated that Worldcoin’s parent company, Tools for Humanity, failed to disclose its true intentions when registering in Kenya. The Kenyan government has suspended Worldcoin’s activities in the country to investigate the legality of its operations and the safety of the data it collects.

Key Points:

Worldcoin uses iris scanning via hardware called an “Orb” to verify users as humans.
Users receive 25 WLD cryptocurrency in exchange for scanning their irises.
Over 2.2 million people have registered with Worldcoin.
Kenyan authorities are concerned about the usage of the data collected by Worldcoin.
Worldcoin claims to protect individual privacy and comply with data processing laws.

The Kenyan Capital Markets Authority (CMA) also expressed reservations about the legality of Worldcoin’s operations in the country. The scanning process has caused security problems in Nairobi due to large crowds gathering. Worldcoin has temporarily paused verification services to address the issue and develop better crowd control measures. The company aims to increase understanding of its privacy measures and commitments with local officials.

Hot Take:

The raid on Worldcoin’s warehouse and the suspension of its activities in Kenya highlight the concerns surrounding the company’s data collection practices. While Worldcoin claims to prioritize individual privacy and comply with regulations, authorities and the public remain skeptical. The scanning process has also raised security issues and caused overcrowding. Worldcoin will need to address these concerns and implement stronger measures to regain trust and ensure the safety of user data.