Kenya Orders Worldcoin to Delete All Biometric Data

Kenya just set a powerful precedent for data privacy rights across Africa. The country's High Court has ordered Worldcoin, the crypto-backed identity project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, to permanently delete all biometric data collected from Kenyan citizens after finding the company violated national privacy laws.

Worldcoin arrived in Kenya in 2023 with a bold promise: scan your iris with a spherical device called an "orb," and receive a digital ID plus 25 free cryptocurrency tokens. The project attracted large crowds eager for the free crypto, but privacy advocates immediately raised red flags about collecting such sensitive personal information.

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner confirmed that all iris scans and facial data have now been erased from Worldcoin's systems. The May 5, 2025 court ruling found that Tools for Humanity, the company operating Worldcoin, broke Kenya's Data Protection Act by gathering sensitive biometric data without proper consent and without conducting required privacy impact assessments.

Kenya's government first suspended Worldcoin operations in August 2023, concerned that personal data could be misused or transferred abroad without safeguards. Regulators had already ordered the company to stop collecting data, but Worldcoin continued until the formal government suspension forced compliance.

The Bright Side

This ruling represents more than just one country saying no to questionable data practices. Kenya's decisive action shows that African nations are taking digital sovereignty seriously and refusing to let tech innovation override basic privacy rights.

The decision also sends a clear message to tech companies worldwide: offering financial incentives for biometric data doesn't equal genuine consent, especially in communities where economic pressures might make such offers feel impossible to refuse.

Worldcoin pitched itself as a solution for financial inclusion and identity verification in the Web3 era. But Kenya's courts recognized that protecting citizens' most personal information matters more than moving fast and breaking things.

Other countries are watching. Regulators in Europe and Southeast Asia have already examined or restricted Worldcoin over similar privacy concerns, and Kenya's ruling now stands as one of the strongest legal rebukes of the project's approach.

The case highlights an important truth: real innovation must respect people's fundamental rights to privacy and informed consent, not treat them as obstacles to overcome.