An order to lift a ban doesn’t always mean instant access. Even after the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center announced Thursday, Sept. 24, that it was ordering Discord’s restoration on Globe and DITO networks, access remained blocked as of Thursday afternoon.
“Yup, we’re ordering the lifting,” said CICC Executive Director and DICT Undersecretary Renato “Aboy” Paraiso, following a meeting with Discord’s management that produced several commitments: a designated point person in the Philippines, a direct “green lane” coordination channel with authorities, and a faster process for handling government investigation requests. Paraiso apologized to the public over the ban and said authorities were working to restore access.
The ban had taken effect Wednesday evening, Sept. 23, when Discord users on Globe and DITO saw a notice citing an NTC directive, after the CICC said the platform missed its 24-hour deadline to establish a local presence. DICT Secretary Henry Aguda confirmed the timing, and the NTC said the order applied to Globe and DITO subscribers specifically. Students, gamers, and freelancers who rely on the platform for work were disrupted, with some working around the block through DNS changes or a VPN.
The deadline stemmed from letters the CICC sent Discord and Reddit on Sept. 21, ordering both to designate a resident agent, explain their safety and age verification measures, and warning of restrictions within 24 hours — issued in the wake of the Sept. 18 shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato.
Reddit avoided the block entirely: officials including vice president of policy Jessica Ashooh met with the agency, discussed “green lanes” for flagging harmful content, and committed to opening a Philippine office, securing an extension. Discord had initially sent only a letter, prompting the CICC to clarify it had not extended Discord’s deadline pending direct discussions and concrete commitments.
Former DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy criticized the disruption, estimating about 15,000 Filipino freelancers were affected — citing the Barangay VA Helpdesk, a Discord community of more than 12,000 members, along with the Nexus and Jobcord servers used by Filipino virtual assistants.
