𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐜𝐨𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥.

By Robert Wanyonyi.

In a landmark ruling, the High Court of Kenya has declared Worldcoin’s collection of personal data from Kenyans in 2023 illegal, citing non-compliance with the country’s data protection laws.

The court’s decision mandates the immediate deletion of all biometric data collected within seven days, with oversight from the Data Protection Commissioner. Furthermore, the ruling prohibits Worldcoin from processing or gathering any additional personal data without proper legal safeguards.

The case which has drawn significant public attention underscores Kenya’s commitment to digital privacy rights. Legal experts and data protection advocates have hailed the decision as a major victory for safeguarding citizens from unauthorized data collection.

“Once again,Kenya’s strong legal system has stood up for its people,” said one legal analyst. “This ruling sets a precedent for ensuring tech companies abide by local regulations when handling sensitive information.”

Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency venture that scans irises for digital identity verification, faced scrutiny from Kenyan authorities over concerns of data security and informed consent. The company has yet to issue a formal statement in response to the ruling.

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With the enforcement deadline approaching, all eyes are now on the Data Protection Commissioner to ensure compliance with the court’s orders. This ruling reinforces Kenya’s stance on data sovereignty, signaling that personal information must be handled with transparency and accountability in the digital age.