Worldcoin saga turns spotlight on Kenya's data privacy challenges

Data protection Commissioner, Immaculate Kasait. [File, Standard]

Rosa*, a retiree with a keen interest in technology, stood at a Nairobi shopping centre before a Worldcoin orb, a device that scanned her iris to capture biometric data in exchange for cryptocurrency (digital currency).

Biometrics is a way to identify people using unique physical traits. It involves technology that can recognise things like fingerprints, face shape, voice, or even how someone walks. This technology is often used for security, like unlocking phones with a fingerprint or face, or at airports to confirm someone's identity.