KATHMANDU, Sept 4: Nepal has moved to block more than two dozen social media and Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, and X (formerly Twitter), after they failed to register within a government-mandated deadline.
The decision was made at a ministerial-level meeting chaired by Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung on Thursday and swiftly implemented through a directive issued by the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) to all internet service providers. With this move, some of the most widely used platforms in Nepal are expected to go offline soon.
Joint Secretary Gajendra Kumar Thakur, spokesperson for the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, said the ministry has already instructed the Nepal Telecommunications Authority to block unregistered platforms, including Meta-owned Facebook, YouTube, X and LinkedIn.
“Unregistered social media platforms will be deactivated starting today,” Thakur told Republica on Thursday. “They will be allowed to resume operations once they apply for registration with the government.”
Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have already started blocking social media in line with the regulator’s directive as of Thursday evening.
The government’s action comes in the wake of a directive issued by the Supreme Court. Earlier on August 25 this year, a division bench of Justices Tek Prasad Dhungana and Shanti Singh Thapa, hearing a contempt of court case, ordered the government to ensure that all social media platforms operating in Nepal be registered with a competent authority. The court emphasised that such regulation was necessary to monitor harmful content, ensure accountability and require foreign platforms broadcasting advertisements in Nepal to obtain official permission.
In response, the government adopted the “Directive to Regulate the Use of Social Media, 2080,” which made registration mandatory for both domestic and foreign platforms. On August 28, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MoCIT) issued a public notice granting companies a seven-day deadline to complete the process.
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In its public notice, the ministry explained that the directive aimed to bring social media companies within Nepal’s legal framework by requiring them to appoint a local contact office and grievance officer. The notice stressed that this was not a revenue-generating exercise, as no registration fees were required, but a step to ensure compliance with Nepal’s constitution and laws.
“The Honourable Supreme Court has directed that all online and social media platforms, whether domestic or foreign, must be registered with the designated authority prior to operation,” the notice stated. “Those that fail to register will be deactivated. Once they comply, operations can resume immediately.”
In 2023, Nepal 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.
Irked by the failure of the big tech companies to comply with the government’s regulations, the MoCIT had issued a public notice on August 28, giving a fresh seven-day deadline to register with the government or face a ban.
With the expiration of the deadline on Wednesday midnight, the ministry said it had no choice but to move forward with the enforcement of the directive.
This, however, is not the first time Nepal has restricted access to popular online platforms. In July, the government blocked the Telegram messaging app, citing a surge in online fraud and money laundering.
Earlier, it had imposed a nine-month ban on TikTok, which was lifted in August last year after the platform’s South Asia division agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.
Which Platforms Will Stay Online
Not all platforms will disappear from Nepal’s digital space. According to MoCIT, five companies—TikTok, Viber, Nimbuzz, WeTalk, and Popo Live—have already completed the registration process. Two others, Telegram and Global Diary, are in the process of registering and will be allowed to continue operating for the time being.
Talking to a group of journalists on Thursday, Minister Gurung complained that the global tech companies were defying Nepal’s sovereignty. “When we asked them to register, they made claims as if they would not follow Nepal’s Constitution and laws,” he said. “They ignored our requests and diplomatic efforts. They left us no choice but to block them.”
The government’s decision to block several popular social media platforms has sparked criticism from various quarters. The Internet Service Providers’ Association of Nepal (ISPAN) said it had warned the government against resorting to bans, recalling the technical difficulties that followed the earlier ban on TikTok.
ISPAN President Sudhir Parajuli had warned that shutting down major platforms would push users toward VPNs and open DNS, creating cybersecurity risks, raising operating costs for service providers and damaging Nepal’s investment environment.
Activists of freedom of expression and journalists have also condemned the move. The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), the umbrella body of journalists across the country, described the government’s action as “immature” and a violation of citizens’ right to information. “Shutting down social media, which citizens use extensively for the exchange of information, means depriving them of their right to information,” FNJ General Secretary Ram Prasad Dahal said in a statement. “The government should have facilitated regulation, not imposed a ban.”
Uncertain Digital Future
The government has maintained that its intention is not to curb online expression but to establish accountability and transparency. Officials maintain that blocked platforms can return as soon as they register. Yet, the sudden enforcement has left millions of Nepali users facing an abrupt disruption in their digital lives.
Critics warn that the move risks isolating Nepal from the global digital ecosystem and may undermine innovation, investment and access to information. Supporters argue that it is a necessary assertion of Nepal’s legal authority in the face of powerful multinational corporations.
For now, the fate of Nepal’s digital landscape hangs in the balance, depending on whether the global tech giants choose to comply with Nepal’s new rules—or stay out of the country altogether.
Meta seeks registration details after govt’s ban decision
Even as the NTA’s directive reached internet providers, Meta—the parent company of Facebook—reached out to Nepal’s ministry seeking clarity on registration procedures.
According to MoCIT officials, Meta representatives emailed the minister’s expert advisor on Thursday afternoon requesting the list of required documents. The ministry responded promptly, suggesting the company may now be considering compliance.
