A Nairobi High Court has called Sam Altman’s crypto project as ‘illegal’, ordering that the biometric data collected from Kenyan citizens be deleted within seven days.
According to Decrypt, joining a list of countries halting or restricting the project, the High Court of Kenya on May 5, 2025 ruled against the Worldcoin Foundation led by Sam Altman. It has put a stop to the collection of sensitive biometric data of Kenyan Citizens without valid consent from the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC). It also accused the company of using inducements in the form of cryptocurrency to obtain that data, calling it illegal and one that violates the principle of informed consent.
The Nairobi court also ordered that World, formerly known as Worldcoin, and its agents delete iris and facial data collected from Kenyan citizens within seven days under the supervision of the appropriate authorities.
Joshua Malidzo Nyawa, counsel for Katiba Institute, the NGO that filed the suit, called the ruling “a win for the right to privacy in Kenya.”
“Right to privacy is a constitutional right, and a violation can arise by failing to comply with procedural rules such as conducting a data privacy impact assessment,” he said.
“Consent issued after an inducement, monetary offers, and cryptocurrency is not free and is illegal.”
The crypto-based digital identity project founded by Altman and Alex Blania uses custom-built iris-scanning orbs to verify individuals and issue a “World ID.” In exchange, users receive WLD, the project’s native token, which has been distributed in part through in-person sign-ups.
Meanwhile, according to Coin Telegraph, the Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Digital (Komdigi) suspended that Electronic System Operator Certificate Registration (TDPSE) for World and its World ID service on May 4, over registration protocol breaches and suspicious activity.
The Indonesian ministry claims that a company called PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara, that was used by World for providing services in the region, may have engaged in legal misrepresentation, posing potential risks to the regulatory framework and users’ privacy.
Furthermore, Germany, Kenya, and Brazil have also expressed concerns about the security of biometric data handled by the platform, while others question the ethical implications of using such data for digital identity verification.
Despite these concerns, World has continued to expand its operations, with the platform debuting in the United States in May 2025 across six major cities.
