Why Nepal govt imposed social media ban that sparked stunning protests: Explained
Sites and apps including Facebook and YouTube went dark last week as the companies that own them failed to comply with new local registration rules
The stunning protests in Nepal that claimed multiple lives on Monday come after the government directed internet service providers to block access to several major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X, last week.
The sites and apps went dark starting September 5 as the companies that own them failed to comply with new local registration rules. Younger citizens using the term ‘Gen Z’ for their collective called for protests.
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What does Nepal govt want from social media apps?
It was on Thursday that Nepal's ministry for communication and information technology asked the regulating authority to instruct service providers to restrict access to 26 platforms.
The list included Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, YouTube, X, Discord, Reddit, WeChat and Snapchat.
These are all foreign platforms, who were given seven days to register their operations in Nepal and appoint a local contact person.
The Nepal Supreme Court had also upheld the government requirement, citing the need to regulate revenues and address misinformation. The court did not call for a ban as such, though. It directed the government to create the required legal arrangements.
The registration rules come ahead of a proposed wider legislation on the issue.
Debates are on over the social media bill that could introduce fines and imprisonment for content deemed “against national interest”.
The bill has drawn criticism, for it is seen as a threat to press freedom and digital expression. The government claims it does not intend to restrict free speech.
How wide is the extent of Nepal social media ban?
- Data from the Nepal Telecommunications Authority says over 90 per cent of Nepal has internet.
- Facebook is the most used social media platform with 87 per cent market share, HT has reported citing figures from Statcounter.
- The platform X, earlier called Twitter, has 6 per cent share, followed by YouTube.
Some civil society groups have compared it to censorship in China.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the decision would hinder the ability of the news media to report, thus limiting democratic access to information. The Federation of Nepali Journalists also described the measure as undermining citizens’ rights. Several journalists were among those injured in police action at the protests.
But Nepal's communication and IT minister, Prithvi Subba Gurung, has said platforms were given enough time to register. Meta, Google and Snap did not respond to requests for comment.
The Nepal government says access to apps would be restored once they register.
TikTok and Viber are among those that remain unaffected, for they have completed the registration.
