×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Join Thousands of Readers
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download Now

Worldcoin saga turns spotlight on Kenya's data privacy challenges

Vocalize Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Vocalize

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.

Premium Article

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Fact-first reporting that puts you at the heart of the newsroom. Subscribe for full access.
Continue Reading  →
What you get
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimised reading
  • Weekly newsletters & digests
Pay via
M - PESA
VISA
Airtel Money
Secure Payments Kenya's most trusted newsroom since 1902
Sports
Wangaya lands April's Player of the Month
By Ben Ahenda 6 hrs ago
Boxing
Why every boxer wants to go to Nakuru
By AFP 7 hrs ago
Premier League
Man City must put pressure on Arsenal, says Guardiola
Sports
Kenya ready to host African Taekwondo Championship