25/09/2026
In less than a day, Discord went from blocked to unblocked in the Philippines. 🇵đź‡
After the Banga National High School shooting, the CICC gave Discord 24 hours to establish a local presence. When the deadline passed, access was blocked. Within hours, the ban was lifted after talks with Discord, along with a public apology for the inconvenience.
The goal of protecting young people online is valid and important. But the ban didn't only reach bad actors. Students, teachers, businesses, developers, and online communities who rely on the platform every day were cut off too.
This is why responsible research in technology matters. Before regulating a platform, we need to understand how people actually use it, talk to the people affected, weigh risks against benefits, and choose targeted solutions over blanket bans.
Good intentions need good research. đź’ˇ
Swipe through to see the full breakdown. 👉
