TikTok Bans in Nepal Over Social Harmony Concerns

Nepal’s government declared a ban on the China-owned video-sharing app TikTok on Monday, citing its adverse impact on social harmony.

Rekha Sharma, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, confirmed that the decision to ban TikTok was made in a recent cabinet meeting.

However, the exact enforcement date for this decision is yet to be confirmed.

The government stated that while freedom of expression is a fundamental right, a significant portion of society has criticized TikTok for fostering a culture of hate speech. The Kathmandu Post reported that the video-sharing app has been associated with 1,647 cases of cybercrime over the past four years.

Nepal’s Cyber Bureau, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and TikTok representatives discussed the issue last week. The enforcement of the ban is expected to follow technical preparations, according to the Nepal daily. This decision arrives shortly after the government introduced the ‘Directives on the Operation of Social Networking 2023’. The directive mandates social media platforms operating in Nepal to establish their offices within the country.

As per the new rule, platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and YouTube are required to set up offices or appoint a focal person within three months of the directive’s enforcement. Failure to comply would result in mandatory registration with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology or potential shutdown.

Additionally, these directives outline a 19-point list of actions that users of platforms like Facebook, X, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram should refrain from.

This ban in Nepal resonates with the ban imposed by India in June 2020, where TikTok was prohibited, along with several other Chinese apps, due to national security concerns. Prior to the ban, India had about 150 million monthly active TikTok users. Concerning security issues, countries like Australia, Belgium, Canada, Afghanistan, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Norway have taken steps, including partial or complete bans on the video-sharing app.