Oh, calamity! The chaps over at World (who apparently dropped the “coin” but not their penchant for brouhaha) just caught a thunderbolt from Kenya’s legal skies—thanks to a judicial pow-wow that declared their biometric data collection about as welcome as a wasp at a garden party. 🐝
Digital rights campaigners, already polishing their “I Told You So” badges, are celebrating what must feel like scoring a hat-trick in the Cup Final. Worldcoin’s exploits have attracted global raised eyebrows and pursed lips, and this time they’ve finally overplayed their, er, hand… or orb.
Worldcoin’s Orbs Face Kenyan Court’s Legal Laser Beams
Justice Aburili Roselyne, armed with the legal equivalent of a cricket bat, granted the Katiba Institute’s request for a judicial review. The verdict: “Cease all that biometric malarkey, chop-chop!” Worldcoin Foundation and its merry agents must halt data processing—or risk the wrath of the Kenyan judiciary.
Not content to stop there, the court instructed them to blitz all previously nabbed Kenyan data. Delete. Obliterate. Toss into the digital bin and light a match.
“An order of prohibition [is issued] restraining Worldcoin Foundation and its agents from further processing, collecting or dealing in Biometric data without undertaking (or using an inadequate) Data Protection Impact Assessment… or using consent obtained by inducement of a cryptocurrency — Worldcoin,” Katiba Institute reported, waving the ruling like a victory flag.
With orders sounding positively Shakespearean (certiorari! mandamus! abracadabra!), Her Ladyship quashed Worldcoin’s local plans, citing a bevy of violations against the Data Protection Act, 2019. Basically, Worldcoin’s rulebook was chucked into the proverbial shredder.
Should you feel tempted to “misplace” some Kenyan’s biometric whatnots, don’t. The Commissioner’s Office is on the case faster than Jeeves on a hot scone.
“High Court orders Worldcoin to delete biometric data collected in Kenya within 7 days,” local media cheered, presumably while inventing new celebratory dances.
High Court orders Worldcoin to delete all biometric data of Kenyans unlawfully collected using its orb, under the supervision of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) May 5, 2025
Legal eagles at ICJ Kenya, ever eager to wave the rule-of-law flag, heralded the ruling as a reminder that digital privacy is not to be trifled with—even by jet-setting, silicon-valley types with large orbs and larger ambitions.
“The Court affirmed that Worldcoin commenced data collection without valid consent from the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) and without conducting the required DPIA, in breach of Sections 25, 26, 29, 30, and 31 of the Data Protection Act, 2019,” sang ICJ Kenya, likely over afternoon tea.
The case, a proper legal sojourn two years in the making, was spearheaded by constitutional advocate Joshua Malidzo Nyawa. The man’s currently unavailable, probably deep in celebratory mimosas.
Dishing Out Tokens for Eyeballs: Worldcoin’s Wacky Methods
With the benefit of hindsight, what could possibly go wrong with offering Kenyans $50 in crypto to have their retinas scanned by a device suspiciously called “the Orb”? Dignity, privacy and good sense, apparently—all out the window. 🚪
The Katiba Institute argued, in tones suggesting a raised legal eyebrow, that such cryptocurrency-flavoured incentives produce about as much genuine consent as a cat at bath time. The court agreed—no “eyeball for tokens” swap unless strict legal boxes are ticked.
“The owner of Worldcoin, Sam Altman, is banned from collecting this data in his home country, the US, why do we allow him in Kenya,” wondered parliament majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah, echoing the suspiciously popular sentiment, “What gives?”
This judicial snubbing is likely to echo through courtrooms worldwide where World presents its Orb and earnest PowerPoints. Indonesia already handed out a red card; other countries might be rummaging for their own penalty whistles.
Meanwhile, Worldcoin presses on with bright-eyed optimism in the ol’ U.S. of A.—Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and others. Hope springs eternal, even as coins do not.
The market’s reaction? Well, WLD dropped faster than Aunt Agatha’s sherry glass—a 10% tumble, down to a rather bashful $0.88, as investors everywhere hastily Googled “privacy compliance.”
Secure your internet browsing with a NordVPN subscription. [Learn more](https://pollinations.ai/redirect/432264)
Read More
- INR RUB PREDICTION
- WIF PREDICTION. WIF cryptocurrency
- USD PHP PREDICTION
- WLD PREDICTION. WLD cryptocurrency
- DOT PREDICTION. DOT cryptocurrency
- Gold Rate Forecast
- GBP USD PREDICTION
- FIL PREDICTION. FIL cryptocurrency
- GMX PREDICTION. GMX cryptocurrency
- IP/USD
2025-05-06 11:36