MANILA—The Philippines’ data privacy watchdog has issued show cause orders to tech giants Meta, Roblox, Reddit, and Discord over non-compliance with registration laws, launching an intensified oversight initiative to protect children’s privacy online.
The National Privacy Commission (NPC) said Tuesday that the four major digital platforms failed to fulfill mandatory registration requirements under the country’s Data Privacy Act of 2012 and NPC Circular 16-03.
The regulatory action comes as Philippine authorities step up compliance monitoring and formal investigations into digital platforms that process personal data, particularly from children and young people who increasingly rely on digital spaces for daily learning and social interaction.
"It is NPC’s position that the safety, privacy, and overall well-being of our youth must always come first. As learning and social interaction increasingly take place across both physical campuses and digital spaces, we are dedicated to protecting the privacy and data subject rights of our youth and promoting responsible data processing,” the agency said.
Under its heightened compliance assessment, the NPC will evaluate whether the tech companies adhere to strict rules on registration, transparency, data subject rights, accountability, and physical and technical security safeguards.
The agency warned it will take appropriate regulatory action against entities found in violation of data protection laws.
Stressing that protecting minors in the digital environment is a "shared responsibility," the NPC called on government agencies, tech platforms, parents, and educational institutions to collaborate in building safer digital spaces.
The orders represent the latest effort by Philippine regulators to enforce strict accountability among international digital platforms operating in the country.
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center earlier also ordered Reddit and Discord to set up a local office to speed up coordination.
Tech platforms have come under intense scrutiny lately following several high-profile school shootings, amid criticism that extremist groups have been using them to groom children into committing acts of violence.