SC asked to curb DICT, CICC, NTC powers to block online platforms

The petition, filed on October 1, challenges the September blocking of Discord and the government's threat to impose similar restrictions on Reddit. The CICC and NTC had ordered a 15-day suspension of Discord, citing the platform's lack of a local legal representative. This action followed CICC letters that gave platforms 24 hours to designate a local agent or face nationwide blocking.

The agencies lifted the Discord restriction on September 24 after meeting with Discord executives, and the CICC executive director publicly apologized for the inconvenience. However, the petitioners argue that neither the NTC's charter nor the Cybercrime Prevention Act grants these officials the authority for wholesale platform blocking. They cite a Supreme Court ruling in Disini v. Secretary of Justice, which struck down a provision of the Cybercrime Prevention Act that allowed restriction or blocking of computer data without judicial authorization.

The petition also contends that the Discord restriction constituted unconstitutional prior restraint, violated due process and equal protection, and indiscriminately affected lawful users. The petitioners suggest that the government could have pursued narrower measures, such as targeted content takedowns or account suspensions, instead of blocking platforms used by millions of Filipinos for work and communication.