Kenyan authorities have closed their investigation into Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency project that offers free tokens in exchange for iris scans.
The investigation concluded with no charges against Worldcoin.
Worldcoin may now be able to resume operations in Kenya, but the company must register and obtain proper licenses.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) closed the case after reviewing findings from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
“Upon review of the file, the Director of Public Prosecutions concurred and directed that the file be closed with no further police action,” said the June 14 DCI letter signed by Hillary Kimutai.
Detectives investigated concerns about Worldcoin’s practices, including allegedly collecting and transferring personal data without proper authorization and lacking proper registration and licensing.
Worldcoin welcomed the closure and stated their intent to resume operations in Kenya.
“We are grateful for the DCI’s fair investigation and the Director of Public Prosecutions’ determination to close the matter. This welcome result is, however, not an end but a beginning,” operations director Thomas Scott said.
The project remains controversial due to privacy concerns and questions about iris scan security.
“We will continue working with the Government of Kenya and others and we hope to resume World ID registration across the country soon. “
Worldcoin launched globally in June 2023. The project was suspended in Kenya in August 2023 due to the investigation.
Over 635,000 Kenyans downloaded the Worldcoin app before the suspension.
Worldcoin claims to have over 5 million World IDs globally, with 2.6 million verified through iris scans.
