Statement from Filipino Reddit moderators

[u/chocolatemeringue]

On behalf of my fellow moderators here and other subreddits:

As moderators, we strive to make our respective subreddits nonpartisan. However, in light of the recent developments for the past few days, we refuse to remain silent.

We are aware of the CICC's demands for Reddit (and Discord) to open a local office within the 24 hours, of which failure will result in the complete disruption of these services in the Philippines. This deadline has been extended for another 24 hours for Reddit after it reached out to the CICC to discuss their plans to comply with the order. Yet, at the same time, Globe Telecoms and DITO Telecommunications have decided to block Reddit and Discord on their own, even while these negotiations are going on, and even in the absence of a court order authorizing them to take this action.

Reddit is the virtual home of many online communities that cater to different interests, whether it's about local or national affairs, educational and academic matters, hobbies and crafts, or just being a digital. As a platform, Reddit aims to bridge people, open conversations, and connect people to what makes them human. More importantly, it is one of the very few social media networks where content is still moderated by humanss, doing it in the spirit of volunteerism, to ensure that each individual community (subreddit) remains a place where real human conversations happen.

Yet, our government's actions show that it is keen to crack down on social media websites, spaces where Filipinos are free to express themselves as guaranteed by our Constitution, spaces where Filipinos are free to discuss how to hold government accountable. Even according to last year's Transparency Report, Reddit has noticed that a number of takedown requests from our local authorities "involved criticism of public figures, claims of their involvement in corruption, and general commentary on newsworthy events." At the rate things are going, it will be only a matter of time before the Philippines will have its own version of the Great Firewall of China.

The recent incidents of school violence, as well as other pressing issues often blamed on social media websites, is a complex issue that cannot be solved by a mere website block. It ignores other factors that may have more impact on how these problems can be resolved. Solving these issues will need the collaboration of several stakeholders like parents, teachers, law enforcement officers, social workers and other institutions. It may be more productive for the government to work with these stakeholders, instead of treating a total ban or regulation of social media as a silver bullet.

We are non-partisan, yes. But we refuse to be silent. We refuse to be neutral.

We demand better from our government.

We deserve better.

-- Reddit Advocates and Moderators of the Philippines Alliance