World.org in the Philippines, the local arm of Tools for Humanity (TFH), the company co-founded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, has challenged the National Privacy Commission (NPC)’s cease-and-desist order (CDO) against its operations in the Philippines, calling it a “setback for responsible digital innovation” and a reversal of a year-long compliance process undertaken with Philippine authorities.
In a statement, the company, also known as World, expressed surprise over the NPC’s decision to halt its activities, saying it had fully complied with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and had worked transparently with multiple government agencies before launching its technology in the country.
“The order comes as a surprise given we worked closely with regulators to ensure that our technology not only meets but exceeds the country’s data protection requirements,” said Ryuji Wolf, country manager for World in the Philippines.
Before rolling out operations, World said it underwent extensive regulatory review, including registration with the NPC, participation in the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) Sandbox Program, and consultations with privacy experts and government agencies.
The company maintained that its approach to compliance was transparent and lawful.
“All these steps were done transparently and in accordance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012,” Wolf said, adding that the NPC’s shift in stance following a change in leadership was “alarming.”
According to World, it has also been collaborating with the DICT and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to help develop solutions addressing the growing risks of AI-driven fraud and impersonation.
World’s “proof of human” technology, the company explained, is designed to verify that users are human without collecting personal information such as names, addresses, or contact details.
The system processes biometric data locally and deletes images within seconds, ensuring no personal identifiers are stored.
“Our system does not identify individuals. It simply verifies that they are unique humans, not bots or AI accounts. We don’t store, sell, or purchase biometric data,” Wolf emphasized.
World said it will file a motion for reconsideration with the NPC and explore all available legal remedies.
Despite the setback, the company affirmed its commitment to cooperate with Philippine regulators and clarify how its technology aligns with privacy and data protection standards.
“World remains committed to working transparently with regulators to clarify the system’s design and demonstrate its full adherence to Philippine law,” Wolf added.
Since its Philippine launch in February, World claims to have attracted millions of Filipino users seeking safer online interactions amid a rise in AI-related scams and identity theft.
The company said it currently employs over 1,000 Filipinos across operations, technology, and community outreach functions.
