MANILA—The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it has ordered the full restoration of nationwide access to Discord and Reddit after both global tech platforms formally agreed to binding safeguards to combat illegal content and protect minors online.
The DICT said the decision followed temporary access restrictions imposed by the government, which "successfully compelled both tech giants to establish binding, operational commitments" with the agency and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).
Under the agreed framework, Discord and Reddit will enforce direct "green-lane" mechanisms for Philippine authorities, enabling the immediate removal of exploitation materials, grooming channels, and digital threats targeting minors, the DICT said.
The tech giants will also deploy enhanced age-assurance tools and default safety protections for young users while maintaining continuous coordination with national cyber-protection agencies.
"When it comes to the safety of our children online, we don’t compromise," said DICT Secretary Henry Aguda. "Digital accountability isn’t always comfortable, but taking these issues head-on was necessary. We sent numerous formal notices and requests, but our concerns went unaddressed. By standing firm, we brought these platforms to the table and secured full agreement on content removal and user safety.”
Aguda said responsible governance means holding global platforms accountable without compromising free speech, and restoring access once key compliance standards are achieved.
Following the agreement, the DICT instructed all internet service providers and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to complete the nationwide restoration of Discord and Reddit services.
IT advocacy groups, however, have criticized the ban and questioned the government's basis for restricting access to these platforms.
IT rights group Democracy.Net.PH said Discord and Reddit "are not the cause of Nihilistic Violent Extremism, though these have been used to reach our children and mislead them."
The Computer Professionals' Union meanwhile noted that Filipinos use Discord for education and for freelance and virtual assistant work.
It said the ban "highlights the lack of planning or forethought" in government actions against online threats.
Social media platforms have recently come under intense scrutiny amid allegations that they are not doing enough to curb groups that have been grooming schoolchildren to commit acts of violence.
- With a report from Jonathan de Santos, ABS-CBN News.