Nepal Bans 26 Social Media Platforms, Including Facebook and YouTube

Summary

Nepal’s government has banned dozens of social media platforms after they failed to comply with new registration requirements, disrupting essential communication and raising concerns over free speech.The 26 blocked platforms include messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and WeChat, as well as websites like YouTube and LinkedIn.The ban, which went into effect on Thursday after a one-week ultimatum to the social media companies expired, has caused confusion across the country. It has ignited fears about how it could affect press freedom and the tourism industry, and particularly about how families can continue to communicate with relatives working abroad as migrant laborers. About 7.5 percent of Nepal’s 29 million population was living abroad in 2021, according to census figures cited by the Nepal Economic Forum, a research institute.Officials at Nepal’s ministry of communication and information technology said the ban was enforced after the platforms refused to comply with a new law regulating social media, despite several formal requests.The government now requires platforms to register for a license and to appoint a representative who can address grievances. “We requested them to enlist with us five times. What to do when they don’t listen to us?” said Gajendra Kumar Thakur, a spokesman for the ministry. People vented their ire on social media in the hours before the ban went into effect. Some cracked jokes by posting their postal addresses on social media, hinting that they were heading to “the age of letter exchange.”Many users are switching to Viber and TikTok, the only major social media platforms that have complied with the registration. Two lesser known platforms — Hamro Patro and Global Diary — have also applied for the registration.The move has raised fears that free speech could be restricted in Nepal, which has continued to enjoy a robust space for debate even as democratic freedoms have shrunk in many nearby countries.Critics say that Prime M...