The Kenyan parliamentary committee has called for the complete shutdown of Worldcoin, a biometric cryptocurrency program conceptualized by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. Established in August 2023 to scrutinize Worldcoin's operations in Kenya, the committee issued the shutdown order on October 2, 2023, to safeguard the interests of Kenyan citizens from potential illicit activities.

Based on information gathered as of September 3, 2023, despite urging residents to refrain from providing personal data, the program has been unwilling to halt the collection of such information from Kenyan residents. Furthermore, the committee directed officials to investigate the company's activities for possible fraudulent behavior and to close all program-related operations.

According to official directives and a court order, the Worldcoin web platform continues to register Kenyan citizens. The government is concerned about the program's impact on the population, particularly regarding the implementation of iris authentication, which they have limited control over.

Given the urgency of the situation, Kenyan policymakers stress the need for effective regulatory measures to combat cyber fraud and address taxation issues in the digital asset sector. They view the unregulated status of crypto assets as a threat to the global financial system, posing potential legal challenges.

On August 3, 2023, Kenya announced the closure of Worldcoin due to a high volume of registrations. Worldcoin's objective of distinguishing humans from AI bots led to its adoption of retinal authentication technology, attracting significant interest. However, skepticism persists regarding the project's viability.

While several nations are closely monitoring Worldcoin, Germany, Argentina, and the United Kingdom appear less concerned about its operations.