In a report released on September 30, the committee made 11 recommendations to curb the virtual asset provider’s unchecked operations. These include blocking its websites, barring its physical presence, investigating its local partners, and developing a regulatory framework within months.
“Within seven (7) days of the adoption of this report, the Communications Authority to disable the virtual platforms of M/s Tools for Humanity Corp and M/s Tools for Humanity GmbH, Germany (Worldcoin), including blacklisting the IP addresses of related websites and to suspends their physical presence in Kenya until there is a legal framework for regulation of virtual assets and virtual asset service providers,” the report stated.
The committee said relevant agencies should “develop a comprehensive oversight framework and policies on virtual assets and virtual assets service providers in Kenya, within six (6) months of the adoption of this report.”
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It also recommended authorities “conduct investigations into the operations of M/s Tools for Humanity Corp and M/s Tools for Humanity GmbH, Germany (Worldcoin) in Kenya and take the requisite legal action” within three months.
Additionally, the report called for probing “the activities of the local partners of M/s Tools for Humanity Corp and M/s Tools for Humanity GmbH, Germany (Worldcoin) in Kenya to establish culpability of persons including Sense Marketing Limited, involved in aiding and abetting their criminal activities.”
Worldcoin, launched in 2021, then came under parliamentary scrutiny after hosting a mass iris scan data collection event in Nairobi. Hundreds of thousands of Kenyans underwent scans as part of the cryptocurrency’s “public goods project” exercise.
The committee said this unregulated data harvesting by a foreign entity posed serious privacy and security risks for citizens. It recommended urgent actions to curb Worldcoin’s activities until oversight is instituted over virtual asset providers.
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