Worldcoin Temporarily Suspended in Indonesia, Ordered to Delete Biometric Data in Kenya

While the nationwide launch of the iris-scanning activities of World in the Philippines was recently announced, the initiative and the blockchain

Iris-scanning activities of World in Southeast Asian nations have been temporarily suspended. The initiative and the blockchain project’s digital identity platform, World ID, have been halted in Indonesia, while the project’s activities were ruled illegal and ordered to be shut down in Kenya.

According to a report by local news outlet, Kenyans.co.ke, on Friday, the country’s High Court has ruled against the iris-scanning activities of blockchain project World in the Southeast Asian nation.

The court ordered the World Foundation to delete all biometric data collected from Kenyans within seven days, with the supervision of the data protection commissioner.

The ruling, by Justice Aburili Roselyne of the High Court in Nairobi, also barred the organization from collecting or processing any further biometric data, stating that its actions violated privacy rights and Kenya’s Data Protection Act.

The case was brought by the Katiba Institute, which challenged the legality of World’s iris and facial data collection via its app and scanning device, the Orb.

The ruling follows World’s controversial 2023 registration campaign in Nairobi, which was suspended by the government due to public safety concerns.

To join World, users must download the World App and verify their identity by visiting an Orb device, which scans their iris to generate a unique World ID. After verification, participants receive $WLD, the platform’s native token.

World had applied for registration as an Electronic System Organizer in 2024, but the Ministry of Communication and Digital found issues with the application.

Issues With Registration in Indonesia

In a statement on Thursday, the ministry, locally known as Kementerian Komunikasi dan Digital, noted the issues with the project’s failure to register and that operations were conducted using another company’s license.

The authoritative body will be summoning World’s local partners, PT Terang Bulan Abadi and PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara, for further clarification, following public complaints. It was because PT Terang Bulan Abadi had failure to be registered even though World’s service was using PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara’s credentials.

“Non-compliance with registration requirements and the use of another legal entity’s identity to operate digital services is a serious violation,” said Alexander Sabar, the director general of Digital Space Supervision.

The statement was translated in English.

In addition to Indonesia, there are also other countries that have banned, investigated, or raised regulatory concerns over World’s iris-scanning activities due to potential violations of data protection and privacy laws. These countries include Spain, Hong Kong, Germany, Brazil, Colombia, India, and South Korea.

World’s iris-scanning operations have been active in the Philippines, specifically in the Bulacan province, since January, beginning in the municipality of Bulakan and gradually expanding across different municipalities. Developer Tools for Humanity confirmed the initiative is part of a “closed beta” program.

After three months of activity, the company announced plans to expand the identity verification system nationwide, starting with a pilot in two cities within Metro Manila.

In March, the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission clarified that World is not registered in the country, warning the public to transact only with registered entities.

In February, the National Privacy Commission clarified that it does not approve or clear data processing activities, but issues registration certificates under the Data Privacy Act.

Meanwhile, World’s legal counsel, Atty. Enrique Dela Cruz, stated that participation in the iris-scanning program is voluntary, no personal identity data is collected or stored, and that Tools for Humanity is registered with the NPC.

On the other hand, in a recent BitPinas webcast, web3 leaders Eliezer Rabadon and Jopet Arias raised ethical and timing concerns over World’s (formerly known as "Developer Tools for Humanity") announced plans to expand its iris-scanning program in the Philippines.

Both web3 leaders agreed that while the project is legitimate, organizers should cooperate with the local web3 community to ensure proper education and avoid exploitation, especially during the sensitive election period.

They also urged the government to prioritize data protection in its engagement with the project.

“I think it’s exploitative, especially if you consider the socioeconomic conditions of the people they’re targeting. They’re aiming for large-scale deployment in lower-income urban and rural communities. It’s exploitative because they’re going to be recruiting people with the promise of crypto tokens, which is a short-term gain that may not necessarily materialize in the long run,” Rabadon stated.

In a previous interview, an official from the Bulacan provincial government explained that local leaders in the province invited World to set up its Orb in different municipalities as part of broader community outreach programs.

"We invited them to come here in Bulacan to introduce their program and technology. We are open to innovations that can benefit our constituents," the official elaborated.

World's iris-scanning activities began in January in the municipality of Bulakan and