In a landmark ruling with global implications, Kenya’s High Court has ordered the Worldcoin Foundation to immediately cease all collection and processing of biometric data in the country. The decision marks a significant victory for data privacy advocates and deals another major setback to Sam Altman’s controversial Worldcoin project, now operating under the name "World."
Justice Aburili Roselyne ruled that Worldcoin and its agents must stop collecting biometric data and are prohibited from obtaining user consent through inducements, including digital tokens. This ruling follows a two-year legal battle led by local advocacy organizations Katiba Institute and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Kenya.
The court found that Worldcoin had violated Kenya’s Data Protection Act by failing to conduct a mandatory Data Protection Impact Assessment before gathering user data. The company had been rewarding users with 25 WLD tokens—worth around $55 at launch—in exchange for their biometric information, a practice deemed unlawful by the court.
As part of the judgment, Worldcoin must permanently delete all user data collected in Kenya within seven days, under the supervision of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC). The court also revoked the company’s data processing certificate, effectively halting its operations in one of its former largest markets.
ICJ Kenya praised the ruling as a “powerful precedent” that reaffirms the primacy of human rights in the age of digital innovation. “The judgment rightly underscores that even in the digital age, constitutional rights must be upheld,” it stated.
Amnesty International Kenya echoed the sentiment, calling the verdict “a significant milestone in the protection of data privacy and digital rights.” The organization emphasized the importance of deleting unlawfully obtained biometric data to restore the rights and dignity of data subjects.
The ruling is the latest chapter in a long-running controversy that began when Worldcoin launched operations in Kenya, rapidly enrolling hundreds of thousands of users with token incentives. However, the government intervened in August 2023, suspending the project and summoning company executives, including CEO Alex Blania, to answer serious concerns about data misuse and potential espionage.
Although Worldcoin hinted at a 2024 relaunch following partial legal reprieve, it has failed to regain a foothold in Kenya. Compounding its woes, Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs also suspended the project this week due to "suspicious activity."
As the dust settles, Kenya’s ruling stands out as a strong assertion of digital sovereignty and individual privacy rights—offering a blueprint for other nations grappling with the ethical challenges posed by biometric data collection and digital identity schemes.
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