Why Nepal Banned Social Media, And Why That's Not Only Trigger For Protests

Thousands of young Nepalese citizens took to the streets to protest the KP Sharma Oli government's decision to ban 26 social media services, including Facebook, YouTube, and X, resulting in 19 fatalities and over 300 injuries. The demonstrations began in Kathmandu, the nation's capital, and quickly expanded throughout the Himalayan nation. A number of locations, including important government areas, Baneshwor, Singhadurbar, and Narayanhiti, were placed under curfew.Police used tear gas shells and rubber bullets on protesters earlier in the day. Then, a young protester urged the others to disperse, claiming that special interests had infiltrated the gathering to incite it. The leader of the rally declared, "We have already won today," Following the violent protests, the Army was sent to the New Baneshwor region.

The government of Prime Minister Oli declared that it has decided to repeal the ban as the protests erupted. Following a cabinet meeting, Nepal's Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, stated that the government has directed the relevant agencies to begin the process of resuming the use of social media sites in response to the demands of "Gen Z," which led a large-scale demonstration in front of the Parliament in the center of Kathmandu.Facebook and Instagram were among the social media platforms that Nepal banned on Thursday for failing to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. According to a notice, social media behemoths have one week, beginning on August 28, to register with the government. However, none of the following companies had applied by the deadline: LinkedIn, Reddit, X (previously Twitter), Alphabet (YouTube), Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), and others.Last year, the Supreme Court issued an order that prompted the government's actions. The social media behemoths were requested to designate a resident grievance handling officer and compliance officer, as well as to provide a point of contact. Since TikTok, Viber, Witk, Nimbuzz, and Popo Live are government-registered, they were not prohibited. It has been learned that applications from Global Diary and Telegram are being investigated.