Philippines orders Discord and Reddit to set up local offices within 24 hours

After a third school shooting in South Cotabato this year, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) issued separate notices to Discord and Reddit on September 21, ordering each to designate a resident agent or local representative within 24 hours. The platforms must also submit detailed accounts of existing child-safety arrangements and concrete plans to improve rapid-response mechanisms, age-verification, and protection against online sexual abuse and extremist content.

CICC Executive Director Renato Paraiso stressed the need for reachable and accountable platforms when online threats spill into real-world violence. The directive builds on prior Department of Information and Communications Technology efforts that pressured Roblox and Meta to adopt stronger child-safety measures. The CICC warned that if the companies do not comply, it may, together with other authorities, restrict or block access to the platforms, though the precise legal route remains unclear.