WORLD Philippines has questioned the cease and desist order (CDO) issued by the National Privacy Commission (NPC) against Tools for Humanity (TFH), the company co-founded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman and developer of the World project.
In a statement, the firm described the NPC’s decision as a “setback for responsible digital innovation” and a “surprise reversal” after completing a year-long regulatory process and investing heavily in the country.
Ryuji Wolf, local operator of World Philippines, said the company underwent extensive review before starting operations, including participation in the DICT Sandbox Program, formal registration with the NPC, and consultations with data privacy experts.
“This sudden change in interpretation undermines the certainty that legitimate investors rely on when working with Philippine regulators. All these steps were done transparently and in accordance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012,” Wolf said.
He added that the firm’s proof-of-human system does not collect personal information, and that biometric images are immediately deleted and never stored, sold, or purchased.
“Our system does not identify individuals. It simply verifies that they are unique humans, not bots or AI accounts,” he explained.
Wolf said World Philippines will file a motion for reconsideration and continue engaging with regulators to demonstrate compliance with the Data Privacy Act.
Despite the issue, he assured that the company remains committed to helping protect Filipinos from AI-generated fraud and identity theft while creating local jobs in technology and community outreach.
