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🪙 Kenya Orders Worldcoin to Delete Biometric Data

🪙 Kenya Orders Worldcoin to Delete Biometric Data

Plus:🩺 Platos Health Launches Platos 3.0 with $1.4m Pre-Seed Round

Innovation Village
May 08, 2025

Today’s Menu ☕️

🪙 Kenya Orders Worldcoin to Delete Biometric Data Amid Rising Privacy Concerns
📱 Global Smartphone Market Sees 3% Revenue Growth in Q1 2025 as Apple and vivo Lead the Charge
🩺 Platos Health Launches Platos 3.0 with $1.4m Pre-Seed Round to Tackle Metabolic Health Crisis
🤖 Google Unveils AI Max: A New Era for Smarter, More Effective Search Campaigns

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🪙 CRYPTOCURRENCY

Kenya Orders Worldcoin to Delete Biometric Data Amid Rising Privacy Concerns

The Kenyan High Court has taken a firm stand on digital privacy by ruling against Worldcoin, the cryptocurrency initiative co-founded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Alex Blanca. The court ordered the company to cease all biometric data collection and processing in Kenya and to permanently delete all previously gathered biometric data within seven days, unless it conducts a proper Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA).

The ruling, delivered on May 5 by Lady Justice Aburili Roselyne, is the result of a legal challenge filed by the Katiba Institute, a constitutional advocacy group that has consistently raised red flags over the legality of Worldcoin’s operations. The organization argued that Worldcoin’s collection and processing of sensitive biometric data—including iris scans and facial images—violated Kenya’s Data Protection Act, particularly Section 31, which deals with the handling of sensitive personal data without explicit consent and proper impact assessments...……continue reading

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📱SMARTPHONES

Global Smartphone Market Sees 3% Revenue Growth in Q1 2025 as Apple and vivo Lead the Charge

The global smartphone market posted a modest but meaningful rebound in the first quarter of 2025, with revenues growing 3% year-on-year (YoY). According to Counterpoint Research, this positive momentum was largely driven by strong performances from Apple and vivo, the only two brands among the top five to record revenue growth. Brands outside the top five—particularly Huawei and Motorola—also made significant contributions, marking a shift in consumer preference and brand dynamics.

A notable trend in Q1 2025 was the rise in the average selling price (ASP) of smartphones, which climbed to a record $364, up 1% from the previous year. This reflects the continued global trend toward premiumization, as consumers increasingly seek out smartphones with advanced features, including artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and more powerful hardware. This shift has helped offset volume declines for some manufacturers and boosted profitability in key segments...……continue reading

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🩺 HEALTHTECH

Platos Health Launches Platos 3.0 with $1.4m Pre-Seed Round to Tackle Metabolic Health Crisis

Platos Health has unveiled Platos 3.0—a bold shift into a proactive, preventive health economy—backed by a $1.4 million pre-seed funding round. Investors include Google for Startups, Invest International, and angel investors from global tech powerhouses like Google, Tesla, and Unicredit. This funding reinforces Platos’ mission to address the global rise in chronic diseases linked to excess body fat and metabolic dysfunction.

Platos was founded in 2020 with the launch of Zest, Nigeria’s first fully digital diabetes management platform. It served thousands of users and received international recognition, including a feature in the International Journal of Diabetes and Technology (IJDT). To scale its impact, Platos expanded into remote patient monitoring through partnerships with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Chronicare (linked with Roche’s largest Nigerian distributor), and AIICO Health Insurance....……continue reading

🤖 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Google Unveils AI Max: A New Era for Smarter, More Effective Search Campaigns

Google has introduced AI Max for Search campaigns, a powerful new suite of artificial intelligence tools aimed at revolutionizing the way advertisers connect with users through Search. This initiative brings cutting-edge AI capabilities into the heart of campaign management, enabling marketers to boost reach, improve relevance, and increase performance with ease.

At the core of AI Max is its ability to go beyond traditional keyword targeting. Using a combination of broad match and keywordless AI technology, the tool analyzes existing keywords, ad creatives, and landing pages to uncover high-potential search queries that may have previously gone unnoticed. This advanced targeting method allows advertisers to capture a wider audience by understanding and anticipating more complex user queries — essentially broadening their funnel without compromising on relevance......continue reading