KENYAN police have concluded their investigation into allegations that Worldcoin illegally collected and transferred users’ personal data, clearing the way for the cryptocurrency project to restart its operations in the country.
Worldcoin, developed by Tools for Humanity—a company co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman—was suspended in August last year due to privacy concerns related to its practice of scanning users’ irises in exchange for a digital ID. The project aims to create a new ‘identity and financial network’ and has signed up 5.7 million users across more than 160 countries.
In a letter dated June 14, Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) informed Coulson Harney, the law firm representing Worldcoin, that the Director of Public Prosecutions had reviewed the case and directed that it be closed with no further police action.
Thomas Scott, Chief Legal Officer at Tools for Humanity, expressed gratitude for the outcome. ‘We are grateful for the DCI’s fair investigation and for the Director of Public Prosecutions’ determination to close the matter,’ Scott said in a statement. He also confirmed that Worldcoin would soon resume user registration in Kenya.
The decision allows Worldcoin to continue its mission of expanding its digital identity and financial network, overcoming the legal challenges it faced in Kenya regarding data privacy and security.
