The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has cautioned Kenyans against sharing their details with WorldCoin, a financial public utility that allows the public to easily access digital currencies without the need for a third party to facilitate the transactions.
The Commission pointed out that the platform processes sensitive data such as personal information and warned Kenyans to be careful.
The public has also been advised to enquire about how their data will be used before accepting terms and conditions.
ODPC confirmed that it is conducting a thorough assessment of WorldCoin's practices to ensure compliance with the law.
Commenting on the issue, Data Commissioner Immaculate Kassait, MBS, reaffirmed the Office's commitment to promoting data privacy and security in Kenya.
"It is the responsibility of data controllers to ensure that personal data is processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act. Failure to do so not only puts individuals' privacy at risk but also exposes an organisation to legal and reputational consequences," she remarked.
ODPC confirmed its commitment to ensuring that entities processing personal data in Kenya comply with the Data Protection Act, 2019.
According to the Act, any organisation that unlawfully discloses personal data in a manner that is incompatible with the purpose for which such data has been collected, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding Ksh3 million or face a ten-year imprisonment or both.
The cryptocurrency industry in Kenya has been on steady growth due to the country's mobile money infrastructure.
WorldCoin, which announced its entry into Kenya in April 2023, has in the past week elicited excitement among many Kenyans who have thronged various supermarket stores to create an account on the platform through the application.
Once someone has joined, they are required to scan their eye with an orb which will capture an image of a user's iris - which gives a distinctive identification called an IrisCode.
The app acts as a crypto wallet that can hold US dollars, Bitcoin and WLD (WorldCoin). They receive some tokens for free, which they can use or save as they wish.
According to crypto.com, one WLD token amounts to Ksh2.
