Kenya: Court Orders Worldcoin to Delete Kenyans' Biometric Data

6 May 2025
Capital FM (Nairobi)

Nairobi — The High Court has ordered Worldcoin Foundation to permanently delete biometric data collected from Kenyans, citing violations of the country's data protection laws.

Justice Roselyne Aburili issued the ruling following a case filed by lobby group Katiba Institute, which challenged the legality of Worldcoin's collection and processing of iris and facial data without a proper Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), as required by the Data Protection Act, 2019.

The court found that the consent obtained through inducement using cryptocurrency was invalid and unlawful. It also quashed prior approvals that allowed the firm to process personal data, citing non-compliance with the law.

In addition to banning further data collection without a valid DPIA, the judge directed the company to delete all previously gathered biometric data within seven days, under the supervision of the Data Protection Commissioner.

The ruling is expected to influence how global tech firms operate in Kenya amid rising scrutiny over personal data use.

Read the original article on Capital FM.

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