Kenyan High Court orders Worldcoin to Delete Biometric Data within 7 Days

In a landmark ruling, Kenyan High Court orders Worldcoin to Delete Biometric Data within 7 Days from Kenyan citizens unconstitutional. The court has mandated that the Worldcoin Foundation delete all iris and facial data collected from Kenyans within seven days, under the supervision of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) .(Capital News, Kenyans)

Table of Contents

Background on Worldcoin’s operations in Kenya

Worldcoin, co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is a digital identity initiative that uses iris-scanning technology to verify individuals. In Kenya, the project offered cryptocurrency incentives valued at approximately KSh 7,000 in exchange for biometric data, leading to significant public participation .

Legal Challenges and court Findings

In a landmark decision that reaffirms Kenya’s commitment to digital privacy and data sovereignty, the High Court has ordered the Worldcoin Foundation to permanently delete all biometric data collected from Kenyan citizens within seven days. This ruling follows a prolonged legal battle that questioned the legality of Worldcoin’s operations in the country.

What Is Worldcoin?

Worldcoin is a digital identity and cryptocurrency project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. It promises to create a universal identity protocol by scanning users’ irises in exchange for a cryptocurrency incentive.

In Kenya, the project attracted thousands of citizens who lined up to scan their irises using a spherical device known as “the Orb.” In return, they received tokens worth roughly KSh 7,000. While the offer was enticing, privacy experts raised red flags about how this sensitive biometric data was being stored and used.

Court Declares Worldcoin’s activities Unconstitutional

On May 5, 2025, Justice Roselyne Aburili of the High Court ruled that Worldcoin’s data collection activities were unconstitutional and violated Kenya’s Data Protection Act. The judgment stated that the company had failed to conduct a mandatory Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) and did not register as a data processor.

Additionally, the court declared that any consent obtained from Kenyan citizens was invalid. The reason? Most people were induced by the financial incentive rather than fully understanding how their biometric data would be used.

What the Court ordered

The court issued the following directives:

Worldcoin must delete all biometric data collected in Kenya within seven days, under the supervision of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC).
The company is barred from collecting or processing any further data from Kenyans unless it complies fully with Kenyan law.
Any data previously collected in violation of the Data Protection Act is now considered unlawfully obtained and must be discarded.
Operations remain suspended until all legal requirements are met.

Global Scrutiny and Previous concerns

This is not the first time Worldcoin has faced backlash. Governments in Germany, Spain, and Indonesia have also questioned the legality of its biometric data collection model. In several jurisdictions, operations have been suspended or restricted pending investigations.

Kenya’s case is now one of the strongest legal actions against the company, and it could set a global precedent for how biometric data projects are regulated.

What the Government Says

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has welcomed the ruling, stating that it upholds the integrity of Kenya’s data protection framework. The ODPC had previously warned Worldcoin and participated in investigations that led to the court proceedings.

Why This Ruling matters

This ruling reinforces the importance of ethical data collection and respect for individual privacy rights. With digital identity projects and artificial intelligence expanding rapidly, there is growing concern about how user data—especially biometric data—is handled. Kenya’s decision sends a clear message to global tech firms: follow the law, or face consequences.

The Future of Digital identity in Kenya

As the country embraces digitization, balancing innovation with personal data protection will remain a key challenge. Kenyan High Court orders Worldcoin to Delete Biometric Data within 7 Days saga offers an important lesson—technological progress must go hand in hand with legal accountability and transparency.

📚 Citations / Sources:

Follow TopStoriesKe for more

Spread the love