Data Protection Office says Worldcoin likely to tamper with data from Kenyans, seeks court’s intervention

The office has now asked the court to intervene failure to which Kenyans' personal data mined during the World coin project will be erased and modified. 

In an affidavit, Deputy Data Commissioner Oscar Otieno says that having reviewed the Worldcoin project operations in the country, he is satisfied that it is not safe for Kenyans, adding that they are still doing its investigations.

“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,” reads court papers. 

Otieno further says that the commission commenced assessment of Worldcoin in May 2022 and in the course of the assessments, they suspended their operations for 60 days to ascertain the lawful basis of process and safeguards adopted 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,” reads the affidavit.

The commission seeks preservation orders from court, saying it will assist in the investigations being carried out and will enable them preserve the personal data collected from Kenyans.

The orders, it adds, will facilitate the ongoing investigations which are meant to assist them deduce whether or not the personal data is being processed in a manner contrary to the Act.

In the papers the commission wants the court to issue orders stopping further collection of data 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,”says Otieno.