ChatGPT founder Sam Altman accused of ‘espionage’ in Africa for scanning people’s eyes

It also said the project’s cryptocurrency ambitions present a risk to Kenya’s financial system.

Worldcoin describes itself as a “digital identity and financial network”, positioning itself as a response to the rise of artificial intelligence which will result in widespread fraud and identity scams.

Using a football-sized orb, it scans a person’s retina to confirm their identity and set up an account. 

It has signed up millions of people as it seeks to expand its network across the globe.

However, the company has been accused of taking advantage of people in poorer countries by giving them Worldcoin tokens in exchange for being scanned.

The Kenyan committee said Worldcoin had more than 30 orbs operating around the capital of Nairobi.

It said the Worldcoin Foundation had not signed up to process Kenyans’ data.

“Whereas Worldcoin claims that their main intentions are proof of personhood and establishment of World ID, their real intention is inclined on decentralisation of the global monetary system,” the report said.

Worldcoin did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman told Reuters that it had “not seen anything official announced by the Committee directly”.

The company was founded by Mr Altman in 2019 alongside Alex Blania, a physicist, and Max Novendstern, a former financier.

Worldcoin has around 150 orbs around the world, two of which are in London.