World Phl disputes NPC decision, cites full compliance with privacy law

The local unit of the digital identity project World said the National Privacy Commission (NPC)’s cease and desist order (CDO) against Tools for Humanity (TFH) — the company co-founded by Sam Altman of OpenAI and developer of the World project — is a setback for responsible digital innovation and a surprising reversal after the company completed a yearlong compliance process while making significant, legitimate investments in the country that began long before the technology was made available to Filipinos.

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The NPC earlier ordered TFH to stop its operations after saying it found violations, including invalid consent and excessive collection of data.

The company said the decision, if not reversed, could deprive millions of Filipinos of technology designed to protect them from scams, identity theft and AI-driven fraud.

Before launching operations, World’s local team underwent extensive regulatory review, including participation in the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)’s Sandbox Program, formal registration with the NPC, and consultations with leading data privacy experts and government agencies.