CICC gives Discord, Reddit 24-hour ultimatum to establish PH presence

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to messaging platform Discord and social discussion platform Reddit, demanding they establish an office or a local representative in the Philippines. This move comes in response to the country's third school shooting this year. In separate letters sent on Monday, September 21, the CICC informed Discord and Reddit that they must "immediately designate, from receipt of the letters, a resident agent or local representative who can facilitate Philippine jurisdiction and enhance coordination and cooperation with Philippine authorities." CICC Executive Director Renato Paraiso stated that the organization is "not asking platforms to police the internet for the government but to be reachable, accountable, and responsive when activities on their platforms put Filipino children and communities at risk." He added, "When an online threat spills over into the real world, there has to be clear channel for authorities to act." This action follows a similar move by the Department of Information and Communications Technology in August, which sought agreements from Roblox and Meta for enhanced child-safety measures. Beyond seeking local representatives, the CICC has tasked Discord and Reddit with submitting written explanations of their existing arrangements and concrete implementation plans for enhancing safety standards, their respective rapid response mechanisms, and their age-verification or age-assurance measures. The CICC also aims to have Discord and Reddit participate in a "cooperative framework" to address the digital exploitation of minors. This framework would specifically cover networks involved in the creation, solicitation, possession, distribution, exchange, promotion, or monetization of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (CSAM), child sexual abuse or exploitation materials, and nihilistic violent extremism occurring on these platforms. According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), there have been 74 cases linked to nihilistic violent extremism, with 42 minors rescued so far. The CICC has also requested the Department of Foreign Affairs to assist in facilitating participation and coordination among social media companies, including Meta Platforms, Discord, and Reddit, as they work to combat online threats linked to the exploitation of minors and real-world violence. Failure to comply within the prescribed timeframe may result in the CICC, in coordination with appropriate Philippine authorities, restricting operations or prohibiting access to these platforms within the Philippines. It remains unclear whether this measure would be implemented unilaterally or through a court-mandated order.