The high court has stopped Worldcoin from further taking biometrics of Kenyans eyeballs pending hearing of case challenging the process.
In the case, several lobby groups moved to court raising concern on the safety of data given to Worldcoin asking court to cancel their license.
Last month thousands of Kenyans queued and gave biometrics of their eyeballs in exchange of being paid Sh 7,000 by World Coin.
Justice Jairus Ngaah has put a stop to the process and further directed them world coin not to take any further biometrics.
The court has also barred the companies from
collecting, processing, or transferring the personal biometric data collected in Kenya using
the Orb without Data Protection and Impact Assessment.
The court has also allowed the lobbies to serve the companies based abroad through local dailies.
Through lawyer Dudley Ochiel, the lobby groups argue that in July this year Worldcoin began collecting biometric data by scanning irises of the Kenyans.
“Although data consent must be voluntary, free, and informed, Worldcoin obtained consent by the inducement of Sh 7,000 and it did not register as a data processor in Kenya,” reads court papers
Ochiel said they were contesting Worldcoin’s venture to unlawfully collect and process biometric data
(iris scans) without undertaking Data Protection
Impact Assessment.
He argues that the data security, consumer protection, cybersecurity, and safety of the biometric data collected by Worldcoin is at stake and any leakage could render their case nugatory.
Among the companies sued for illegally taking Kenyans data include Tools for Human corporation, Worldcoin Foundation in Cayman Islands, World Assets Limited in British Virgin Island and Platinum De Plus.
The Lobby groups have also questioned why the CS did not prescribe practice guidelines for commercial use of personal data, by entities like Worldcoin, under section 37(3) of the Act.
