Nepal Plans to Shut Down Facebook, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, Among Others

Nepal has announced the blocking of access to several social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, X, and LinkedIn. The decision comes after a deadline for companies to register with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and provide local contacts, grievance handlers, and self-regulation personnel.

According to the ministry's information officer Rabindra Prasad Poudel, the companies had been given several notices to comply with a directive that dates back to 2023 and survived a Supreme Court Challenge in September 2024. Only five sites had registered in time: TikTok, Viber, WeTalk, Nimbuzz, and Poppo Live. Two other platforms were in the process of meeting the requirements.

The sudden closure of unregistered social media platforms has been criticized by Bholanath Dhungana, president of Digital Rights Nepal. Dhungana views it as a "controlling" approach by the government and a direct infringement on the public's fundamental rights. He argues that while it is not wrong to regulate social media, the legal infrastructure to enforce it is needed first.

The government's action is part of a crackdown on users with fake IDs spreading hate, rumors, committing cybercrime, and disturbing social harmony. The Communications and IT Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung stated that the platforms facing at least temporary shutdown were given enough time to register and repeatedly requested to comply with the ministry's request.

It's important to note that approximately 90% of Nepal's population of nearly 30 million uses the internet. However, currently, no major social media platforms are facing widespread deactivation or shutdown. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Discord, and Slack remain active and operational. Instagram offers temporary account deactivation as a user option, but no platform-wide deactivations are reported.

Nepal has a history of restricting social media access. In August of the previous year, the government lifted a nine-month ban on TikTok after the platform's South Asia division agreed to comply with the new regulations. The country also previously blocked the Telegram messaging app in July due to a rise in online fraud and money laundering.

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has been instructed to obstruct access to unregistered social media platforms, but no details of which companies would be affected were given. Some prominent Nepalese social media accounts issued warnings of disruptions to service, while some users noticed that they could still access sites set to face deactivation.

The regional conference on refugees and media is not related to the social media shutdown in Nepal. The issue remains a topic of debate, with concerns being raised about the impact on freedom of speech and the potential for misinformation during the shutdown period.