World, the digital identity project co-founded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman and developed by Tools for Humanity (TFH), said Thursday it will file a motion for reconsideration with the National Privacy Commission (NPC) after the agency issued a cease-and-desist order (CDO) against its operations in the Philippines.
The company described the NPC’s order as a “setback for responsible digital innovation,” calling the decision a surprising reversal given its year-long compliance process and significant, long-term investments in the Philippines.
World said the sudden shift in the NPC’s position following a change in its leadership is “alarming,” particularly since World in the Philippines has been actively working with agencies such as the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to explore solutions to AI-related risks.
The decision, if not reversed, could deprive millions of Filipinos of technology designed to protect them from scams, identity theft and AI-driven fraud, the company said.
“This sudden change in interpretation undermines the certainty that legitimate investors rely on when working with Philippine regulators,” said Ryuji Wolf, a local operator representing World in the Philippines.
“All these steps were done transparently and in accordance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012,” said Wolf.
“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,” he said.
He said that before launching operations, World’s local team underwent extensive regulatory review, including participation in the DICT’s Sandbox Program, formal registration with the NPC and consultations with leading data privacy experts and government agencies.
World’s proof of human system verifies that a person is human without collecting personal information such as name, address, birthday or phone number. All biometric images are anonymously processed locally and deleted within seconds.
“Our system does not identify individuals,” Wolf said.
“It simply verifies that they are unique humans, not bots or AI accounts. We don’t store, sell, or purchase biometric data,” he said.
Since launching in February, millions of Filipinos have joined the World network, helping make online spaces safer amid a sharp rise in AI-generated fraud and impersonation. World said it also employs more than one thousand Filipinos in operations, technology and community outreach.
Wolf said World remains committed to working transparently with regulators to clarify the system’s design and demonstrate its full adherence to Philippine law.
