Office of Data Protection says the processing of personal data by the Worldcoin project does not follow the guidelines for data protection as outlined in section 25 of the Act.
The office has now asked for the court’s intervention on the grounds that the personal information of Kenyans that was mined for the World Coin initiative will be modified and wiped.
Oscar Otieno, the deputy data commissioner, claims in an affidavit that after reviewing Worldcoin’s operations in Kenya, he is confident that the initiative is unsafe for Kenyans.
“The Applicant is undertaking investigations in relation to Worldcoin operations in Kenya by the Respondents. The Worldcoin project, a matter of great public interest, is described by the Respondent on its website as a project ‘aimed at establishing universal access to the global economy regardless of country or background. It is designed to become the world’s largest human identity and financial network, giving ownership to everyone,” swears Otieno.
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Otieno adds that the commission started evaluating Worldcoin in May 2022 and that during that time they ceased operations in order to determine the legitimacy of the safeguards and methods used by the respondents.
“The applicant believes that the respondents is likely to tamper with erase , modify or further process the personal the personal data contrary to the data protection Act 2019 thereby frustrating the investigation currently being conducted by the applicant,” he continues.
The commission is asking the court for preservation orders, claiming that doing so will help with the ongoing investigations and allow them to preserve the personal information obtained from Kenyans.
The orders, it continues, will help with ongoing investigations that are intended to help them determine whether or not the processing of personal data is in violation of the Act.
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In the documents, the commission requests that the court issues an injunction prohibiting further data collection from Kenyans.
“Despite the suspension and directive to cease processing of personal data, the respondents continued to process the said personal data. It took the public directive by the CS Interior to halt their operations on August 2,” he says.
Interior CS Kithure Kindiki stopped Worldcoin activities on August 2.
“The government has suspended forthwith activities of World Coin and any other entity that may be similarly engaging the people of Kenya until relevant public agencies certify the absence of any risks to the general public whatsoever,” reads the statement.
“Appropriate action will be taken on any natural or juristic person who furthers, aids, abets or otherwise engages in or is connected with the activities afore described.”
