Reddit gets extension for PH office; Discord waits for direct talks

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has granted Reddit an extension to establish a physical office in the Philippines, following an online meeting with the platform's officials within the prescribed 24-hour period. During the engagement, Reddit executives also discussed specific commitments crucial for strengthening online child safety in the Philippines. However, no extension has been granted to Discord at this time. This pending decision stems from the need for direct discussions with the platform and concrete commitments to meet the CICC's requirements. Discord had previously reached out to the CICC via letter, expressing willingness to engage on its existing teen safety measures. The CICC had initially given both platforms 24 hours to establish a Philippine presence, a move prompted by the recent shooting incident at Banga National High School in South Cotabato, aimed at enhancing government collaboration. CICC Executive Director Undersecretary Renato “Aboy” Paraiso stated, "We decided to grant them an extension since they responded within the 24 hours, and we want to give them the opportunity to work with us because what we want is accountability and a clear mechanism for government to coordinate with the platforms." He added, "While we welcome their commitment to work with us, we will not settle for anything less. This commitment must translate into concrete action, genuine accountability, faster response mechanisms and stronger protections for our Filipino children online." Reddit's participation included Vice President of Policy Jessica Ashooh, Deputy General Counsel Leslie Liu, and Policy and Regulatory Affairs Manager Vijay Pamarathi. Discussions focused on establishing "green lanes" or direct communication channels with Philippine authorities for flagging potentially harmful content, including online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC), child abuse and exploitation materials (CSAEM), and Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE). Discord informed the CICC about its newly rolled out Global Teen Experience, designed to place teenagers in age-appropriate environments on their platform. The shooting in South Cotabato is the third school shooting incident in 2026. In June, two students opened fire in a high school in Tacloban, killing three others. Not more than two months later, in August, another student shot and killed a schoolmate in Ateneo de Zamboanga before turning the gun on himself.