KATHMANDU, Sept 5: After Nepal moved to block unregistered social media sites, international tech companies are lining up to comply.
The government announced on Thursday that 26 platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and YouTube, would be restricted unless registered. Within hours, Meta officials contacted the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology for clarification on the registration process. Soon after, X also reached out to the government to discuss registration.
Telecom operators have already begun blocking access to these services following instructions from the Nepal Telecommunications Authority, which cited a Supreme Court order, a Cabinet decision, and ministerial directives. The move has left millions of Nepalis suddenly cut off from widely used platforms.
Meanwhile, political backlash has begun. Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa criticized the ban, calling it a misguided policy. In his statement, he argued that social media is not only central to free expression and public debate but also intertwined with social connections, business, and the digital economy. “Restricting these platforms undermines freedom of expression and the right to information,” he said, urging the government to reverse course.
People’s News Monitoring Service
Login to add a comment