Government Reveals Secret WorldCoin Collaborators
At least eleven Kenyan companies worked with WorldCoin, even though various stakeholders continued to express concern about the company’s data harvesting activities in Kenya.
Director of National Computer and Cyber Crimes James Kimuyu stated in a speech before the Kenyan Parliament on Tuesday, August 29, that eleven companies worked in secret with Worldcoin before the cryptocurrency company was prohibited in Kenya. The official also disclosed that 350,000 Kenyans had registered with Worldcoin as of July 22.
Kimuyu also disclosed that the token offered to Kenyans was part of the Ksh2.7 billion OpenAI raised from investors to facilitate data harvesting.
The token is worth approximately Ksh7,700, but its value has already plummeted as governments and organizations have cracked down on the company’s data harvesting activities.
The National Computer and Cyber Crimes Director asserted that WorldCoin intends to distribute a global currency to all individuals.
The company believes that iris images are a unique and secure method for identifying individuals. However, the WorldCoin project has sparked concern over data privacy.
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Numerous Kenyans have expressed concern that iris scans could be used to establish a national identification system. Others are concerned that the data could be compromised or abused.
The Kenyan government suspended WorldCoin’s operations on Thursday, August 3, citing data privacy concerns.
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) discovered that WorldCoin had not obtained the required authorizations to collect personal information.
WorldCoin asserted that it is committed to safeguarding individuals’ privacy. Additionally, the company stated that it will not sell or distribute iris photographs to third parties.
It is unclear, however, how the company will protect the data from being attacked or misused.
The company led by Sam Altman acknowledged that the WorldCoin project is still in its infancy and assured users that it will be able to surmount privacy concerns and gain their trust.
Government Reveals Secret WorldCoin Collaborators