In a major legal setback for the World-Foundation- formerly known as Worldcoin and co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman- the High Court of Kenya has ruled against the company’s data practices, citing violations of constitutional privacy rights.
Justice Roselyne Aburili delivered the verdict on Monday, mandating the World Foundation to delete all biometric data it had collected from Kenyan users. Including iris scans and facial images. Seven days have been given to get this done, this process will take place under the observation of the country’s data protection officer.
As per the Court’s order, World can’t collect or process any new biometric data going forward. The world was gathering data without conducting a legally required Data Protection Impact Assessment ( DPIA).
The case was brought to court by the Kabita Institute and the International Commission of Jurists ( ICJ ), Kenya. “The judgment rightly underscores that even in the digital age, constitutional rights, especially the right to privacy under Article 31 of the Constitution, must be upheld,” this is just one of the three orders issued by Lady Justice Aburili Roselyne.
Kenya had once been a key market for the World project, with hundreds of thousands of individuals enrolling before authorities suspended its activities in August 2023. Despite the pause, World had revealed plans in mid-2024 to restart operations following the closure of a local investigation by law enforcement.
However, the World has yet to issue an official response to the ruling, as per the reports. But the World is forging ahead with its global rollout. The world has recently announced its U.S. expansion, launching in six cities: Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, and Nashville.
Also read: Worldcoin suspended in Indonesia over regulatory issues
