Philippines: National Privacy Commission issued cease and desist order against Tools for Humanity

On 23 September 2025, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) issued a cease-and-desist order (CDO) against Tools for Humanity (TFH), the entity operating the World App and Orb verification system. The order prohibits making the World App available, conducting Orb device verification, and transferring or sharing any previously collected personal data. TFH is also required to submit the total number of Filipino registrants and its operating locations. The NPC found that TFH's data processing practices violated the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA), its Implementing Rules and Regulations, and other NPC issuances. The CDO was issued on the grounds of invalid consent, as monetary incentives provided by TFH in exchange for iris scanning constituted undue influence. The CDO was also issued on grounds of a lack of transparency for data subjects regarding the purpose, scope, extent, and duration of data processing, as well as the excessive collection of immutable biometric identifiers. Furthermore, the NPC determined that the continued processing of such biometric data exposed Filipino data subjects to risk of identity theft, fraud, and reputational harm.