Kenya Suspends Worldcoin Over Concerns About Use of Biometric Data

2023-8-2 18:45

The government of Kenya has suspended the activities of the new crypto project Worldcoin as officials assess potential risks to public safety.

WorldCoin, which launched on July 24, is a digital identification service for distinguishing real humans from artificial intelligence (AI) and bots. Its flagship tool, the Orb, is an iris-scanning device used to verify and log the identity of each individual. Participants then receive a World ID on the Worldcoin blockchain and a portion of the company’s own cryptocurrency.

Kenya Seeks Clarity on What Worldcoin Does With Data

But on August 2, the government of Kenya stopped Worldcoin’s activity in the country while it looked at how the company intends to use the data it gathers. Worldcoin maintains that iris scans are deleted after the person’s World ID is created.

“The government has suspended forthwith activities of Worldcoin and any other entity that may be similarly engaging the people of Kenya until relevant public agencies certify the absence of any risks to the general public,” Interior Secretary Kithure Kindiki said in a Wednesday statement.

In recent days, photos have emerged of Kenyans in long queues waiting to have their iris scanned by Worldcoin’s orb. The company has been heavily criticized for exploiting those in Third World countries by buying people’s biometric data on the cheap. The company pays Kenyans in tokens worth approximately 7,700 Kenyan shillings—around $54 USD. 

According to the company’s official website, the project has registered over 2.1 million people in eight days. Worldcoin is also active in 120 countries, with 34 countries having hosted “Orb verifications.”

But as the sign-ups have mounted up, so has the concern from government officials. And not just in Kenya.

Kenyans queue at KICC in the Nairobi CBD to scan their eyeballs in return for Worldcoin cryptocurrency tokens valued at about Sh7,700. pic.twitter.com/yFkxknJenX

— Nation Africa (@NationAfrica) August 1, 2023 Worldcoin Launched to Heavy Criticism Last Month

Worldcoin launched to a barrage of criticism on July 24, with observers criticizing its tokenomics and ethical practices. At launch, market makers controlled 95% of the total circulating supply, distorting the market.

Others have highlighted the shortcomings of ID verification when second-hand World ID accounts sell for as low as $1 on Telegram.

In Germany, the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision is investigating the crypto firm. Regulators have concerns over its use of sensitive biometric data.

In a July 2 statement seen by Reuters, Worldcoin said it will offer governments and other organizations the opportunity to utilize its iris-scanning and identity-verifying technology. Although this is unlikely to settle nerves.

The post Kenya Suspends Worldcoin Over Concerns About Use of Biometric Data appeared first on BeInCrypto.

Similar to Notcoin - Blum - Airdrops In 2024

origin »

WorldCoin (WDC) на Currencies.ru

$ 0.0016068 (+0.70%)
Объем 24H $11
Изменеия 24h: 7.88 %, 7d: -11.65 %
Cегодня L: $0.001602 - H: $0.001627
Капитализация $192.186k Rank 99999
Доступно / Всего 119.607m WDC

data use concerns kenya suspends worldcoin biometric

data use → Результатов: 126


BlackRock Edges Closer To Bitcoin ETF Filing: Bullish Impact On BTC’s Price?

Per a Coindesk report, BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, is reportedly getting closer to filing an application for a Bitcoin (BTC) Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) in the United States.  According to an anonymous source familiar with the matter, the company will use Coinbase (COIN) Custody for the ETF and the cryptocurrency exchange’s spot market data […]

2023-6-15 17:10


Unleashing AI in a Novel Crypto Application: Exploring the Intricate Link Between Federal Rates and Bitcoin’s Price

Revolutionary Investment Analytics Firm, Chain of Demand, Harnesses AI Power for Unveiling the Relationship Between Fed Rates and Bitcoin Prices Pioneering the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the finance sector, Chain of Demand, an investment data analytics company based in Hong Kong, introduces a groundbreaking widget that examines the fluctuations in Bitcoin (BTC) prices […] Сообщение Unleashing AI in a Novel Crypto Application: Exploring the Intricate Link Between Federal Rates and Bitcoin’s Price появились сначала на Coinstelegram.

2023-6-14 18:16


Frogs, Fevers and Fees: Bitcoin’s New Governance Challenge

The creation of Bitcoin-based meme coins using the new BRC-20 standard has driven up Bitcoin fees as they use more data than a basic Bitcoin transaction. But while some developers in the Bitcoin community are proposing a filter to block Bitcoin NFT projects, such censorship could run counter to Bitcoin's open-source characteristics, CoinDesk's chief content officer Michael Casey argues.

2023-5-13 21:30


How To Do Your KuCoin Taxes – Get KuCoin Transaction History For Tax Purposes

Kucoin provides a wide range of crypto services and you need to pay taxes on every one of them, be it trading, buying, selling, staking etc. Creating a Kucoin tax report is not that hard, especially if you use specialized crypto tax calculators that help you get Kucoin trading history and manipulating that data to […] The post How To Do Your KuCoin Taxes – Get KuCoin Transaction History For Tax Purposes appeared first on CaptainAltcoin.

2022-11-5 15:16