DICT Lifts Discord Ban After Platform Agrees to Local Presence, Safety Terms

Access to the digital communication platform Discord was restricted across multiple Philippine telecommunications networks on Wednesday night, September 23, 2026, following regulatory enforcement over local representation and child safety compliance.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) issued a clarification late Wednesday correcting earlier joint-extension reports, stating that a compliance extension to its 24-hour directive was granted solely to Reddit and did not cover Discord.

According to the CICC, Reddit secured its extension after company officials held a virtual meeting with authorities within the prescribed window, offering commitments to establish a local office and dedicated channels to strengthen online child safety. Conversely, while Discord submitted a letter detailing its existing teen security frameworks, the CICC maintained that no extension would be granted pending direct discussions and definitive structural agreements regarding its local presence.

The regulatory body initially issued separate directives to both platforms on Monday, September 21, instructing them to designate resident agents or establish local offices. The state initiative followed investigations linking certain online groups to recent school violence incidents in the country.

By Wednesday evening, users nationwide reported widespread connectivity issues. Local internet service providers—including Globe, GOMO, and DITO Telecommunity—implemented network-level restrictions following directives from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). Discord’s global servers remained fully operational, indicating the disruption was localized to Philippine networks.

However, the restriction was short-lived. On the afternoon of Thursday, September 24, 2026, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda announced that the government had officially lifted the ban on Discord. The decision followed successful virtual negotiations where Discord executives committed to establishing a local presence, creating "green lanes" for government reporting, and enforcing stricter measures against online grooming and violent extremism.