The Kenyan government has launched investigations into the operations of Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency company, following concerns over data privacy and security.
The government said that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is interrogating two Kenyan nationals associated with Worldcoin, Emmanuel Otieno and Rael Mwende.
The two Kenyans are local marketing representatives of the international cryptocurrency company. Otieno was in charge of the operations of the company while Mwende was identified as the overall country manager.
The government said that the preliminary investigations reveal that Worldcoin has hired a company in Kenya called Sense Marketing to do the data capture for them in the country.
The government is also investigating a foreign national, Piotr Tczyk, who is connected to Worldcoin. Tczyk has entered Kenya on several occasions, the last one being in June 2023.
The ongoing criminal investigations are aimed at verifying the authenticity and legality of Worldcoin’s activities, as well as the safety and intended use of harvested data.
The government said that it is committed to protecting the privacy and security of Kenyans’ data. It said that it will take appropriate action against anyone found to be in violation of the law.
The investigations into Worldcoin come at a time when there is growing concern about the use of biometric data by cryptocurrency companies. Biometric data, such as iris scans and fingerprints, can be used to identify people and track their movements.
There are concerns that biometric data could be used for illegal purposes, such as identity theft or fraud. The Kenyan government is taking a proactive approach to ensuring that biometric data is used in a safe and secure manner.
