On August 5, according to Coindesk, local news revealed that law enforcement in Nairobi, Kenya, searched the warehouse belonging to the recently launched Worldcoin project. The police seized equipment believed to store user data. If you missed the Worldcoin launch, read the overview in our article.
Who's against
A few days earlier, on August 2, the Interior Ministry of Kenya decided to suspend Worldcoin’s operations "until relevant public agencies certify the absence of any risks to the general public whatsoever".
Reports from Reuters claim that Worldcoin has been targeted by law enforcement not only in Kenya. Regulatory bodies in several other countries are also interested in the project’s activities, including:
🇫🇷 France
🇬🇧 UK
🇩🇪 Germany
What's wrong
Common to all the regulatory statements is a concern over the collection of biometric data and the handling of storing and processing it. However, Worldcoin itself has repeatedly noted that it deletes all data after iris scans. Moreover, the company said it is willing to work with other organizations and governments to establish digital identity infrastructure.
Worldcoin goes on
Despite the regulatory pressure, Worldcoin’s allure is still growing. On August 6, the project reported a "2X growth in weekly World ID sign-ups".
In addition, on August 3, Certik, a company that audits crypto projects, tweeted that Worldcoin had patched a vulnerability. This flaw could have potentially allowed attackers to become Orb device operators without undergoing the necessary verification process.
Also read: What’s the fuss about Worldcoin