Discord, Reddit to comply with order to set up PH office: CICC
Social media platforms Reddit and Discord have agreed to open local offices in the country.
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center said the two tech firms committed during the virtual meeting to establishing Philippine offices to facilitate coordination with authorities, per an ABS-CBN News report.
This came after the agency gave the platforms an ultimatum to set up their Philippine offices and designate a resident agent or local representative who can serve as their point of contact in the country within 24 hours or risk being banned.
The CICC also asked Reddit and Discord to explain how they currently handle user safety and outline steps they plan to take to improve safeguards, emergency response, and age checks. It further urged both platforms to work with authorities on measures addressing the exploitation of minors online, which it said is increasingly being tied to violence and physical harm offline.
The order stemmed from concerns about violent extremist content and the exploitation of minors online, following the Sept. 18 shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato, the third school shooting incident this year following the tragic incidents in Tacloban City in June and Ateneo de Zamboanga University in August.
Meanwhile, the National Privacy Commission on Sept. 22 issued show cause orders against Meta, Reddit, Discord, and Roblox for allegedly failing to meet registration requirements under the Data Privacy Act of 2012. The commission said it is stepping up its monitoring of digital platforms that handle the personal data of Filipinos.
In its Sept. 23 public advisory, the agency reminded the platforms to strictly adhere to "their heightened responsibilities and legal obligations in processing the personal data of child users" amid reports linking children’s unrestricted access to social media, online gaming, and digital content to exposure to violence and offline incidents, including school mass shootings.
