The Philippines’ Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has given Reddit and Discord 24 hours to appoint local representatives or face restrictions on their operations or a nationwide access block, as authorities tighten scrutiny of online platforms following a string of school shootings. The ultimatum leaves the two platforms with a stark choice: formalize a local presence the government can reach, or risk Filipino users losing direct access to their services.

The directive was conveyed in separate letters dated Sept. 21 from CICC Executive Director Renato A. Paraiso.

“We are not asking platforms to police the internet for the government but to be reachable, accountable and responsive when activities on their platforms put Filipino children and communities at risk,” Mr. Paraiso said. “When an online threat spills over into the real world, there has to be a clear channel for authorities to act.”

Under the order, both platforms must designate a resident agent or local representative to facilitate coordination with Philippine authorities and establish a channel through which the government can exercise jurisdiction. The CICC warned that failure to comply within the prescribed period could prompt it, in coordination with other government agencies, to restrict the platforms’ operations or block access to them in the Philippines.

Reddit and Discord were also ordered to explain their existing arrangements and submit plans for stronger safety standards, faster responses to threats, and-verification or age-assurance measures.

Shootings Drive the Crackdown

The ultimatum follows the Sept. 18 shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato, the third deadly school shooting in the Philippines since June. Two students and the 16-year-old gunman were killed, while eight other students were wounded. Authorities are investigating the gunman’s online activity and whether exposure to online communities promoting violence played a role in the attack.

The CICC cited concerns about online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, child sexual abuse or exploitation materials, and nihilistic violent extremism — online communities that promote violence and target young people for recruitment or grooming. The agency said Discord’s invitation-based servers and Reddit’s topic-based communities could be exploited to groom, recruit or expose minors to violent content. The resident-agent demand is aimed at closing the accountability gap those features create, giving investigators a formal local contact when online activity crosses into real-world harm.

Broader Coordination Efforts

The CICC has asked the Department of Foreign Affairs to arrange talks with Meta Platforms, Inc., Reddit, Discord and other technology companies to boost coordination against online threats involving violence and child exploitation. Authorities earlier met representatives of Meta and Roblox to form a technical working group on faster content takedowns, child safety measures and age-verification systems.

Malacañang separately called on Meta to respond quickly to government requests for stronger safeguards against violent content reaching children. Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said the government had not set a deadline or determined possible penalties for Meta.

“When we talk about a timeline, if the service is good, it should be immediate, not next month, not next year,” she said in Filipino.

The contrast is notable: Reddit and Discord are working against a 24-hour clock with explicit consequences, while Meta faces pressure without a set deadline. Whether the two platforms comply by the cutoff — and whether the CICC follows through on restrictions if they do not — will show how far the government is prepared to go.

Legislative Measures

The government is also pursuing legislation aimed at protecting children online and improving school safety. The Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 2426, the proposed Comprehensive School Safety Act, with 17 affirmative votes and no negative vote or abstention.

The measure will establish a national school safety framework covering the prevention of, response to and recovery from threats affecting students and school personnel. Schools must develop localized safety plans and provide measures including emergency response systems, counseling and psychological support, and anonymous reporting mechanisms. The Senate’s approval advances the bill, but it still needs to clear the remaining steps of the legislative process before its framework takes effect.

Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara also backed tighter regulation of social media platforms to protect children from online risks, but said Congress should decide whether access should be banned for younger users.

“Studies show 15-16 [years old] and below,” Mr. Angara told reporters at the House of Representatives when asked what age restrictions should apply to social media use. He said social media platforms should adopt stricter safeguards for children amid concerns that online communities are being used to recruit and influence young people.

“It’s about time that we really put pressure on these apps to become more child-friendly,” he added. That leaves the question of any specific age threshold unresolved, resting with Congress as the platform crackdown unfolds.

Source: World