Reddit and Discord Agree to Philippines Requirements After Government Threatened Ban Following School Shootings

The Philippine Government initially banned Discord on some networks, while sparing Reddit, after the platform failed to heed its ultimatum within 24 hours. Manila warned the tech giants that they could be banned if they failed to establish a local presence to help regulate the community.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has confirmed that Reddit had already agreed to the directive. 'Reddit and... agreed to set up their office here but it will take time. Meantime, company representatives or point person will be available anytime for faster coordination,' said CICC Executive Director Undersecretary Renato 'Aboy' Paraiso.

Reddit and Discord in the Philippines

Hours after the initial ban, government officials lifted it after Discord 'vowed to immediately work on steps to strengthen the protection of our youth.' On 21 September 2026, CICC issued the ultimatum, urging Reddit and Discord to designate local representatives, submit plans for stricter age verification and rapid content removal, and commit to a government framework targeting child exploitation.

Reddit virtually met with CICC officials, who were satisfied enough with the dialogue that they were granted an extension to implement the points in the ultimatum. Discord also reached out and 'expressed willingness to engage with the agency on its existing teen safety measures.'

'This is particularly important as Philippine authorities continue to examine Discord over the presence of extremist communities on the platform, including groups associated with Nihilistic Violent Extremism that have been linked to the radicalization and recruitment of minors involved in the recent school shooting incidents in the country,' CICC said in a statement.

New Approach To Confirming Age Group

Discord also released new guidelines on how to confirm the ages of minors. 'Laws requiring age assurance are expanding around the world. Rather than waiting to be told to do it, we're launching our own privacy-preserving approach: one that reflects your feedback,' Discord said.

'We cannot have oversight until and unless they have presence in the Philippines; they are registered here. If they want to continue a healthy relationship with PH, it's incumbent upon them to help us regulate the community,' Department of Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary Leonido Pulido III told local media about the importance of Reddit and Discord presence in the country.

The ultimatum came after the unprecedented rise in school shootings in the country in the last three months.

School Shooting in the Philippines

On 18 September 2026, a 16-year-old high school student opened fire at a school in Banga, South Cotabato, Mindanao, shooting at 10 students before turning the gun on himself. Two students died and eight others were injured in the incident.

Exactly a month before, another high schooler also brought a gun and a rifle to school and tried to shoot a teacher but missed. He then started shooting at students, fatally hitting one, before taking his own life. The incident happened in Zamboanga City, also in Mindanao.

On 22 June 2026, two teenage students opened fire at their high school in Tacloban City, Leyte and killed three students while around 20 more were injured. The suspects, aged 14 and 15, were taken into custody and later placed at a government-run youth facility in Leyte.

The August shooting initially prompted calls for scrutiny of online gaming after an investigation examined whether the perpetrator had been influenced by online content. He livestreamed the shooting.