Kenyan authorities had ordered Sam Altman's crypto startup, Worldcoin, through its parent company Tools for Humanity, to cease collecting personal data including iris scans and facial recognition data due to privacy concerns. The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) issued this directive before the official launch of Worldcoin in Kenya. However, Worldcoin continued to collect biometric data despite the order, leading to the attention of authorities. The ODPC's concerns included inadequate justification for data collection, lack of informed consent, and insufficient communication about data security and privacy measures.

The ODPC's attempts to stop the data collection have come to light in a petition filed in the High Court. The petition seeks to have Worldcoin preserve the collected data as the authorities investigate security, privacy, and legality issues related to obtaining biometric data. The High Court has subsequently barred Worldcoin from collecting data in Kenya and directed the preservation of previously collected information.

Worldcoin's activities were suspended in Kenya by the country's cabinet secretary for interior and national administration until the authorities ascertain the safety, legality, and intentions behind the data harvesting activities. Worldcoin claimed to be creating a new "human identity" and financial network using iris scans and its own cryptocurrency. The startup's activities have raised concerns about exploitation of economically disadvantaged individuals and deceptive marketing practices.

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