In a startling video that has gone viral online, a man is caught on camera alighting from a motorcycle, expressing distress about seeing people naked and feeling pain in his eyes.
The incident, which was shared by blogger Edgar Obare, has raised concerns about the effects of World Coin, a cryptocurrency project, on individuals’ vision and well-being.
In the video, a concerned bystander questions the man about what he is experiencing, to which the man responds, “Eeei bro naskia macho inaniwaasha, naona wasee wakiwa Uchi bana sijui ni juu ya World coin,” which translates to, “Brother, my eyes are itching, and I’m seeing people naked. I don’t know if it’s the World Coin effect.”
The bystander tries to reassure him that people are not around where they were standing, hinting that the man’s vision may be impaired.
Worldcoin Side effects have already started manifesting. #worldcoin #bnn #telegram
BNN BASIC – https://t.co/rasmlkUCur pic.twitter.com/0UmQMdAIFe— Edgar Obare (@edgarobare) August 4, 2023
These incidents come just days after the Kenyan government ordered World Coin, a cryptocurrency project founded by US tech entrepreneur Sam Altman, to halt registration of new users due to data privacy concerns.
The company had been offering free crypto tokens to individuals who agreed to undergo eyeball scanning as part of their registration process.
Thousands of Kenyans had flocked to registration centers to take advantage of this opportunity, receiving tokens worth approximately Sh 7,000.
However, the Communications Authority of Kenya expressed concerns about the storage of biometric data, the exchange of money for data, and the risk of too much data being held by a private company.
As a result of the government’s intervention, World Coin has suspended its operations temporarily and pledged to collaborate with the authorities to address concerns and comply with regulations.
In a statement released on Thursday, the company stated its commitment to implement crowd-control measures and ensure adherence to Kenyan regulations.
World Coin describes itself as a project that aims to create the world’s largest identity and financial network, offering ownership to everyone and providing universal access to the global economy, regardless of nationality or background.
The company’s founder, Sam Altman, who is also known for establishing Open AI, the creator of the ChatGPT chatbot, envisions this initiative as a means to verify human identity and potentially pave the way for universal basic income. However, the specifics of how this would be achieved remain unclear.
In the wake of these developments, the Kenyan Ministry of the Interior has initiated an investigation into World Coin, seeking to ascertain its authenticity and legality.
