Discord ban lifted in the Philippines after platform commits to stronger child safety

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Discord is accessible again in the Philippines after the government lifted its temporary ban on the platform following talks over child protection, online safety and cooperation with authorities.

The department of information and communications technology (DICT) and its attached agency, the cybercrime investigation and coordinating centre (CICC), lifted the ban on 24 September after Discord representatives spoke with government officials and committed to strengthening its safety measures.

The development is particularly relevant for businesses, creators and online communities that use Discord for communications, community-building and work. The platform has expanded beyond its gaming roots, with users also relying on it for school, hobbies, professional communities and other interest-based groups.

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At a press briefing, DICT secretary Henry Aguda said the ban was lifted following what he described as successful negotiations with Discord.

Aguda said Discord had committed to addressing the government's concerns around nihilistic violent extremism, grooming and other online safety risks.

CICC executive director undersecretary Renato “Aboy” Paraiso said Discord had also committed to strengthening its cooperation with Philippine authorities, including through a direct “green lane” for identifying and monitoring potential threat actors.

The platform was also given the option of establishing a local satellite office or appointing representatives in the Philippines to facilitate communication with authorities. The timeline for establishing a local presence has yet to be finalised.

The commitments followed a 24-hour directive issued by the CICC to Discord and Reddit to establish a Philippine presence or designate local representatives. The directive came as authorities investigated online activity connected to a series of school shootings and raised concerns over the use of online communities for grooming and violent extremist activity.

Discord's own safety measures were also discussed during the government's engagement with the platform. Discord told authorities that its newly rolled-out Global Teen Experience is designed to place teenagers in age-appropriate spaces. Users whose age group cannot be established may be asked to confirm their age through facial age estimation, with Discord saying biometric data would not be stored.

The temporary ban, however, also highlighted how deeply Discord is embedded in legitimate online activity. The platform is used by gamers and eSports communities, but also by Filipino freelancers, students, businesses and other communities.

Former DICT undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy pointed to several Discord communities used by Filipino virtual assistants, including Barangay VA Helpdesk, which he said had more than 12,000 members.

Digital advocates Digital Pinoys welcomed Discord's commitments, saying closer cooperation between technology platforms and Philippine authorities would be important in addressing cybercrime, cybersecurity and online safety.

The CICC has apologised for the disruption caused by the hours-long restriction, while Discord is now expected to work with Philippine authorities on the measures agreed during the negotiations.

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