In Summary
- ICT and Interior Cabinet Secretaries Condemn World Coin Company for Data Violation
- The firm illegally collected iris data from approximately 400,000 Kenyan citizens
ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo and his counterpart Interior CS Kithure Kindiki have revealed that World Coin Company indeed contravened data protection act and will soon be held responsible.
During their appearance before the National Assembly yesterday, both Cabinet Secretaries expressed their concerns about World Coin’s operations in the country.
READ ALSO: MP Shakeel Shabirr Angrily Confiscates World Coins Placards from Youths, Says It’s a Scam
“There is a divergence between mere registration and operationalization in conformity to the law. Registration does not imply that a company operating in Kenya has been given authority to behave in a manner that it deems appropriate,”
CS Owalo said.
The company is accused of conducting mass eye screenings on Kenyan citizens to offer cash prizes amounting to approximately 7000 shillings.
The government has taken this move shortly after suspending the World Coin Project in the country due to data safety concerns.
“An entity required to process personal data is required to identify itself with the ODPC by registering with the office. And pursuant to the Data Protection Act 2019, an entity should therefore make an application for registration as a data controller where it determines the purpose and means of handling personal data,”
World Coin Warehouse Raided
Recently the government raided the World Coin crypto currency warehouse located in Nairobi to secure data that was reportedly taken from unsuspecting citizens.
The police reportedly broke into the office along Mombasa road to retrieve the collected data.
READ ALSO: ICT Cs Owalo Defends Worldcoin Program Says Data Collection is Voluntary
The confiscated data has been handed over to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters for analysis.
This even comes as Kenyans flocked Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) to have their irises scanned by World Coin in order to win cash.
Approximately 400,000 Kenyans availed themselves to be scanned.
