Kenyan Court Orders World Foundation to Delete Biometric Data

Kenya's High Court has ordered World Network (formerly Worldcoin) to delete all biometric data collected from Kenyan citizens. This ruling, issued by Justice Roselyne Aburili, follows a legal petition from the Katiba Institute, which argued that Worldcoin violated Kenya's Data Protection Act of 2019.

Worldcoin had collected biometric data – including iris and facial scans—from Kenyans in exchange for cryptocurrency tokens worth approximately Ksh7,000 ($45). The court found that offering tokens in exchange for data constituted inducement, invalidating consent under Kenyan law.

The court instructed the World Foundation to delete the biometric data within seven days, under the oversight of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC). Based on the ruling, World is prohibited from further collecting or processing biometric data without a proper Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) and valid consent.

Back in August 2023, the World Foundation faced scrutiny and a suspension of operations in Kenya over privacy violations. Authorities said the company was not legally registered in the country and that its managers should be arrested. However, the U.S. government intervened, stating that the team had not been formally convicted of any wrongdoing.

The High Court’s decision adds to World’s growing international regulatory challenges. Recently, Indonesian authorities suspended Worldcoin, citing non-compliance with electronic system registration requirements. 

• In September 2024, Hong Kong fined the company $829,000 for violating personal data protection laws. 
• Later, in December 2024, the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection (BayLDA) ordered World to align its data processing with regulatory requirements. 

Meanwhile, the World Foundation says its technical architecture is “privacy-preserving” and results in user data being anonymized. It uses World Chain and digital identities (World ID) to support decentralization and transparency.

The World Network has its native cryptocurrency, Worldcoin (WLD), which is used to reward participants.

Despite World’s claims that the network prioritizes privacy, different governments have raised concerns about its practice of collecting biometric data without valid consent or risk assessments.