The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is tightening its regulatory measures against online platforms such as Discord and Reddit amid concerns over their alleged use by nihilistic violent extremist (NVE) groups.
During an interview on DZRH's Dos Por Dos on Wednesday, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said authorities have taken a more stringent approach after identifying serious concerns involving the two platforms.
“Seryoso kasi ang nakita natin sa dalawang platform na ’yan,” Aguda said.
Aguda said Discord is considered more concerning than Roblox because of reports that NVE groups use the platform to organize and communicate.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has issued a blocking order against Discord over its alleged failure to comply with government directives to remove extremist content, Aguda said.
He added that authorities had repeatedly asked Discord to take down such material, but similar content would later reappear.
“Yung Discord, yung blocking order na issue na ng NTC kahapon pa, wala pong 24 hours na palugit. Immediate ’yun kasi yung mga NVE, nihilistic violent extremist groups, nag-o-organize diyan sa Discord,” Aguda said.
The government has also been pressing the platforms to strengthen safeguards for minors, including measures against the recruitment or grooming of young users into harmful online activities.
Aguda said authorities are also closely monitoring Reddit. However, unlike Discord, Reddit has been given additional time to address government concerns after engaging with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).
On Tuesday, the CICC ordered Reddit and Discord to designate a resident agent or local representative in the Philippines within 24 hours to facilitate coordination with authorities. The platforms were also asked to explain their safety measures, rapid-response mechanisms and age-verification or age-assurance systems.
The CICC warned that failure to comply could lead to restrictions on the platforms' operations or access in the country.
Aguda said enforcing regulations remains challenging because major online platforms are based outside the Philippines and do not have local legal representation.
The government is pushing for a “safety-by-design” approach, under which digital platforms would be expected to build safeguards into their services to protect users, particularly children.
“Dapat ang mga platform na kumikita sa mga kabataan natin sa mga platform nila maging safety-by-design,” Aguda said. “Kapag may mga batang pumupunta diyan, dapat meron kang proteksyon. ’Yun lang naman po ang hinihingi natin.”
The National Privacy Commission (NPC) has separately issued show-cause orders to Meta, Roblox, Reddit and Discord over alleged non-compliance with registration requirements under the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and related regulations.
