Ban on Discord, Reddit lifted after safety compliance

MANILA, Philippines — Access to online community platforms Discord and Reddit has been restored after the companies have agree to comply with the safety guidelines set by the Philippine government.

The two platforms reportedly became inaccessible to some users earlier this week after Philippine authorities gave them a 24-hour ultimatum to establish their presence in the country.

In a press release on Friday, September 25, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) announced that the platforms have formally agreed with the government’s standards amid the ongoing evaluation of children’s online safety.

“The temporary restriction successfully compelled both tech giants to establish binding, operational commitments with the DICT and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC),” the press release read.

According to DICT, Reddit and Discord committed to establish a “green lane” for local authorities for immediate removal of exploitative materials and channels targeting minors.

Also included in the agreement is the implementation of age-verification systems and close coordination with the country’s cybersecurity agencies.

The agreement prompted the DICT to direct the National Telecommunications Commission (NCT) and internet service providers in the country to restore the access on Reddit and Discord nationwide.

The recent move of the DICT and CICC came following the deadly school shooting incident in South Cotabato on September 18, which intensified concerns over influences of nihilistic violence extremism (NVE) online.

The ban on Discord, however, sparked criticisms from users who use the platforms for jobs, businesses, and other non-gaming related purposes.

On Thursday, September 24, the CICC publicly apologized to the inconvenienced users, admitting that they were unaware that Discord is not exclusively a game-messaging platform.