Nepal has ordered internet service providers to block access to major social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X after the company is not complying with local registration rules.
On Thursday, Nepal’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology directed Nepal’s Telecommunications Bureau to instruct Internet service providers to completely restrict access to 26 social media platforms. The move followed a meeting of ministry officials earlier in the day.
According to data from Nepal’s telecommunications department, the internet penetration rate in Nepal is over 90%. Of the domestic social media users, 87% use Facebook, 6% on X and 5% on YouTube.
The list of affected platforms includes Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Wechat, Reddit, Snapchat, YouTube, and X. The decision follows the directive from August 25, which only had seven days to register the business in Nepal and assign local contacts on August 25.
Media advocacy groups and civil society organizations have criticised the move. The New York-based nonprofit committee protecting journalists said the decision “will seriously hinder journalists’ work and people’s access to news and information.” Nepal’s Federation of Journalists also condemned the measure, saying it “undermines freedom of the press and the right to information of citizens.”
The decision on Thursday comes weeks after Nepal’s Supreme Court last month upheld the government’s local registration requirements, and weeks after it determined it was intended to curb false reports. However, the court explicitly ordered the government to ban platforms that the government failed to register, and instead directed “to make appropriate legal arrangements immediately within the framework of the law.”
In particular, Tiktok and Russia’s Viber are one of the social media apps that are not affected by the latest orders. The government said these platforms have already been registered with the country in accordance with the rules.
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“It’s very troublesome that Nepal chose to block access to social media and web services as a whole just because it’s not registered with the government,” said Ramanjitschnima, Asia-Pacific Policy Director and Global Cybersecurity Lead for Access. He compared the approach to “the architecture of censorship seen in the great firewall model of digital authoritarianism in the People’s Republic of China and the path completely opposed to Nepal’s democratic aspirations and constitutional guarantees.”
Communications and Information Technology Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung told reporters that the government gave the platform plenty of time to register in Nepal and made repeated requests, including meta, but they did not comply.
Meta, Google and Snap did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
According to an announcement (PDF) issued by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, access to the platform will be restored when registered domestically.
Chima argued that “Nepal needs to release all blocking orders, restore access, narrow down vague bans and move towards a legislative process that promotes transparency and meaningful consultation.”
He added that without clear appeal or independent oversight, the directive “authorizes the government to suspend services, order removal and represent local “complaint” and “voluntary regulatory” officers within the company.”
“It invites excessive brooking and pressure on businesses to remove legal content,” he continued.
Earlier this year, the Nepal government faced a public backlash against the proposed social media bill, which is still pending approval. The Act includes provisions for imprisonment clauses and fines for posts that are deemed “opposed to national sovereignty or interests.” The proposal “threatens to seriously undermine freedom of the press and digital expression,” the International Federation of Journalists said.
In response to early criticism of the proposed law, Minister Gurung said the government “has no intention to suppress freedom of expression.”
However, the bill also allows the government to order social media platforms to remove certain posts.
A spokesman for Nepal’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology did not respond to requests for comment on the blocking decision.
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