Kenyan Government Says It Has ‘Suspended’ Worldcoin Activities

The Kenyan interior ministry said on Aug.2 that Worldcoin’s activities in the country have been “suspended” in order to give government agencies an opportunity to assess the cryptocurrency project’s potential risks to public safety. The country’s interior minister Kithure Kindiki reportedly warned of unspecified consequences for those violating the country’s laws.

Probe Into Worldcoin’s Activities in Kenya Launched

Just days after Kenya’s data regulator warned residents against scanning their eyeballs via Worldcoin’s orbs, the country’s interior ministry announced on Aug. 2 that it had “suspended” activities of the Sam Altman-backed crypto project. The ministry said the suspension would allow government agencies to assess the crypto project’s potential risks to public safety.

As reported by Bitcoin.com News in late July, the country’s Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) told Kenyans to be more circumspect before getting scanned. The ODPC’s warning followed local reports which suggested that young Kenyans were lining up to get scanned.

Meanwhile, in a statement which seemingly dovetails with the ODPC’s warning, Kithure Kindiki, Kenya’s interior minister, said:

Relevant security, financial services and data protection agencies have commenced inquiries and investigations to establish the authenticity and legality of the aforesaid activities.

Kindiki also warned of unspecified consequences for anyone who engages in activities which violate the country’s laws.

Kenya’s suspension of Worldcoin activities in the East African nation is one of the most direct actions taken by a government or regulator so far. In Germany, one of the few countries to voice concern against Worldcoin’s activities, the data watchdog recently said it is investigating the crypto project. In France, the country’s data watchdog has questioned the legality of Worldcoin’s biometric data collection.

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