Tech
Kenya suspends worldcoin eyeball scanning project
Kenya’s Ministry of Home Affairs has suspended Worldcoin’s operations in the East African nation, as local authorities investigate possible security and data protection risks associated with the eye-scan cryptocurrency project.
“The government has immediately suspended the activities of Worldcoin and any other entity that may similarly engage the people of Kenya until relevant public agencies certify that there is no risk to the general public,” the government said on Wednesday. Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki in a statement.
Worldcoin, launched last week, is an effort to create a global network of digital identities by using a small device called a “sphere” to scan people’s eyeballs. This identity, or World ID, grants its holder “proof of personality” in Worldcoin jargon. Users are rewarded for participation with Worldcoin tokens.
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More than 2 million people have signed up for a World ID so far, reflecting the new compensation model and the reputation of one of its founders, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, who created the popular chatbot service ChatGPT.
In addition to the digital identity, some Kenyans received 7,000 shillings ($49) in cash incentives and crypto tokens, which attracted thousands more to recruitment centers, local outlet Citizen Media reported on its website .
The Capital Markets Authority of Kenya said Worldcoin products are unregulated in the country and advised people to “be wary of potential fraudulent schemes that may emerge in the over-the-counter crypto token market,” according to a statement emailed Wednesday.
Worldcoin did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.