Worldcoin, founded by US tech entrepreneur Sam Altman, offers free crypto tokens to people who agree to have their eyeballs scanned. Thousands of Kenyans have been queuing up at registration centers to get the currency worth about $49 (£39). Kenya warned citizens to be cautious about giving their data to private companies.

The Ministry of the Interior has launched an investigation into Worldcoin and called on security services and data protection agencies to establish its authenticity and legality. The issue raised by the cabinet secretary was widely discussed after the service’s launch in the country. It was unclear whether WorldCoin was registered in Kenya as a data processor.

According to the two agencies, WorldCoin’s launch in Kenya has raised urgent regulatory concerns. The CA and ODPC have highlighted issues regarding data security, consent practices, consumer protection, cybersecurity, and citizen data held by private actors without proper oversight.

Kindiki said the government was concerned with Worldcoin’s activities, and agencies would probe how it intends to use the data it gathers. He said action would be taken against anyone who engages with its activities, without elaborating.

The minister stressed that the government of Kenya is specifically concerned with Worldcoin collecting crucial identification information like iris scans in exchange for a digital ID. Worldcoin’s mission builds on expectations that it will become too difficult to differentiate between humans and online bots as AI technology grows. To differentiate humans from AI, the startup created a digital ID system based on proof-of-personhood. Such a digital ID is generated by scanning an individual’s iris and giving them a World ID.