Kenyan Government Forms Committee to Investigate Controversial Worldcoin Cryptocurrency Project

This parliamentary scrutiny arrives approximately three weeks after Kenya suspended the operations of Worldcoin.

The Worldcoin cryptocurrency initiative has encountered a fresh hurdle in its development as the Kenyan government establishes a 15-member parliamentary committee to delve into the contentious undertaking.

According to a local publication, the Kenyan government has set up a committee of 15 members, led by Gabriel Tongoyo, the Member of Parliament for Narok West, to thoroughly examine the disputed cryptocurrency project.

The parliamentary committee is tasked with conducting an investigation into the project over a span of 42 days and subsequently presenting its findings to the House committee.

Despite reaching out to MP Gabriel Tongoyo for insights into his reservations and objections against Worldcoin, Cointelegraph did not receive a response before the publication deadline.

This parliamentary scrutiny arrives approximately three weeks after Kenya suspended the operations of Worldcoin.

The suspension was enacted due to the project’s failure to comply with governmental directives to cease the practice of scanning users’ irises.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, a pivotal figure in the suspension of Worldcoin’s activities, expressed the government’s apprehensions to the House committee.

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He emphasized that the government is deeply concerned about Worldcoin’s activities, which involve the registration of citizens and the collection of iris data. Kindiki asserts that these activities present significant security risks.

In addition to the parliamentary committee’s involvement, various regulatory bodies in Kenya have overwhelmingly rejected the Worldcoin project.

A court ruling has also led to the suspension of the project’s operations. This legal action was initiated following a lawsuit filed by the office of the data commissioner.

The court’s decision mandates the preservation of data collected by Worldcoin between April of the previous year and August 2023, pending the conclusion of the ongoing legal proceedings.

Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency endeavor centered around digital identification, introduces its native digital coin, WLD coin, which is acquired through iris scanning.

Although the project garnered nearly 2 million participants during its trial phase, its launch to the public across multiple countries brought to light several reports detailing its controversial practices.

As a result, governments in countries such as Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Germany, and Kenya have launched investigations into the project.

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