Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) secretary Henry Aguda has clarified his stance on the controversial World App project, saying he respects the authority of the National Privacy Commission (NPC) to decide on the legal issues surrounding the iris-scanning technology.
A growing rift within the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) over the controversial World.org iris-scanning program has drawn sharp criticism from data privacy advocates — including former National Privacy Commission (NPC) chair Raymund Liboro — who warned that the technology risks “turning human eyes into economic assets” and exploiting the poor under the guise of digital inclusion.
A policy rift has emerged within the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) after secretary Henry Aguda publicly endorsed cooperation with World.org’s iris-scanning technology — a move that directly contradicts a cease-and-desist order (CDO) issued by the National Privacy Commission (NPC), an attached agency of the DICT, against the project’s operators over alleged violations of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA).
The National Privacy Commission (NPC) has warned the public to exercise caution following reports of individuals in Bulacan undergoing iris scans in exchange for cryptocurrency.
