Nepal To Block Unregistered Social Media Platforms

Kathmandu: Nepal said on Thursday it would block access to more than two dozen social media platforms, including Facebook and X, for failing to meet a deadline to register in the country.

The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has instructed the telecommunication authority to deactivate access to unregistered platforms operating in the country including Meta-owned Facebook, YouTube, X and LinkedIn.

"Unregistered social media platforms will be deactivated today onwards," ministry spokesman Gajendra Kumar Thakur told AFP.

"They will be resumed as soon as they apply to register."

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The platforms were still available online on Thursday.

Last week, a cabinet decision had given the companies seven days to register in Nepal, establish a point of contact, designate a resident grievance handling officer and a self-regulation compliance officer.

The decision came after a Supreme Court order in September last year.

In 2023, the country passed a directive which required social media platforms to register and establish a local presence.

Despite several notices and efforts, major platforms have not applied for a registration, the ministry's information officer Rabindra Prasad Poudel said.

"If a social media platform is being used in Nepal, it should be regulated against any illegal activities or unwanted content," Poudel said.

Only five, including TikTok and Viber, have formally registered and two others are in the process.

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X have millions of users in Nepal with accounts for entertainment, news and business.

Bholanath Dhungana, president of Digital Rights Nepal, said that the sudden closure shows a "controlling" approach of the government.

"This directly hits the fundamental rights of the public," Dhungana said.

"It is not wrong to regulate social media, but we first need to have the legal infrastructure to enforce it. A sudden closure like this is controlling."

Nepal has restricted access to popular online platforms in the past.

Access was blocked to the Telegram messaging app in July, citing a rise in online fraud and money laundering.

In August last year, the government lifted a nine-month ban on TikTok after the platform's South Asia division agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.

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