Kenyan Court Slams Brakes on Worldcoin: Orders Deletion of Illegally Collected Biometric Data

By Irine Chebet
NAIROBI, Kenya: In a landmark ruling on digital privacy, the High Court of Kenya has declared Worldcoin’s collection of biometric data from Kenyans unconstitutional, citing violations of the country’s data protection laws.

The court found that Worldcoin, which uses iris-scanning orbs to collect biometric data, failed to conduct a mandatory Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)—a critical requirement under Kenya’s Data Protection Act. Additionally, the company had not registered as a data processor with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC).

As a result, the court ordered Worldcoin to delete all biometric data it collected from Kenyans, under the direct supervision of the ODPC.

The ruling further bans the company from processing any biometric data in the future unless it conducts a proper DPIA and obtains informed, valid consent from users.

This decision sets a powerful precedent in safeguarding citizens’ digital rights and reinforces the legal obligations of companies operating within Kenya’s jurisdiction.