Kenyan High Court Instructs Worldcoin to Delete the Biometric Data of Kenyan Citizens Over Privacy Concerns

The Kenyan High Court has ordered Worldcoin to delete the biometric data of Kenyan citizens after ruling that the company violated the country’s privacy laws. The landmark decision, delivered by Justice Roselyne Aburili on May 5, 2025, found that Worldcoin collected sensitive eye scan data without following proper legal procedures.

Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Alex Blania, launched in Kenya in April 2023. The company attracted thousands of Kenyans by offering cryptocurrency tokens worth about KSh 7,000 ($45) in exchange for scanning their eyes. These eye scans, done using special devices called “Orbs,” were meant to create unique digital IDs that would prove users were real humans and not computer programs.

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“There was lack of the data protection principle of informed consent, instead there was financial inducement,” Justice Aburili stated in her ruling. The court found that paying people to scan their eyes went against Kenya’s Data Protection Act of 2019, which requires companies to properly inform people before collecting their sensitive information.

The High Court instructs Worldcoin to delete the biometric data of Kenyan citizens within seven days, with Kenya’s Data Protection Commissioner overseeing the process. The court also stopped Worldcoin from collecting any more data unless they first conduct a Data Protection Impact Assessment, a legal requirement they had ignored.

Kenya became the global hotspot for Worldcoin, with over 350,000 citizens signing up by August 2023[10]. According to research from CoinJournal analyzing Google Trends data, Kenya showed the highest interest in Worldcoin worldwide, scoring 100 on the engagement scale.

The legal challenge came from Katiba Institute, a civil rights organization, and the International Commission of Jurists Kenya. They argued that Worldcoin’s practices violated Kenyans’ constitutional right to privacy.

This isn’t the first time Worldcoin has faced problems in Kenya. The government temporarily suspended its operations in August 2023 over safety and data privacy concerns. Though the company was later allowed to resume after a criminal investigation was closed, this court ruling delivers a serious blow to its operations.

Worldcoin to delete the biometric data of Kenyan citizens over privacy concerns isn’t just a local issue. Similar privacy worries have appeared in other countries. Spain ordered Worldcoin to stop collecting data in March 2024[9], and recently the company agreed to suspend its activities there until the end of 2024 while German authorities investigate.

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The ruling has already affected Worldcoin financially, with its cryptocurrency token dropping more than 10% in value within 24 hours of the announcement.

This case highlights growing global concerns about how companies handle sensitive biometric information, especially when financial incentives are used to gather data. The order given to Worldcoin to delete the biometric data of Kenyan citizens sets an important precedent for data protection not just in Kenya, but potentially worldwide.

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