Kathmandu. The government led by the country’s largest party, Nepali Congress-CPN-UML, has repeatedly written to social media platforms asking them to regulate them, but they have refused.
According to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, only four social media platforms have been listed so far. More than 40 social media platforms are operating in Nepal. Among those listed, Viber, VietTalk, TikTok, and Nimbaz have been listed according to Nepal’s laws, while Facebook, Instagram, and Threads have not been listed under Meta.
Similarly, the world’s richest man, Elon Musk’s X (old Twitter), Snapchat, LinkedIn, WeChat, YouTube, Telegram, Truth, Greater, Reddit, and Line are operating in Nepal. These are also refusing to be listed with the Ministry of Communications as per Nepal’s laws.
The government had brought a guideline to regulate the use of social media by exercising the authority granted by Section 79 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2063. Accordingly, on November 15, 2080, the Ministry of Communications had asked individuals, companies or organizations that want to operate a social media platform for the first time to list their social media platforms with the Ministry within three months from the date of publication of the notice, as per the provision, to arrange for a contact point within Nepal, a resident complaint hearing officer, and an officer to monitor self-regulation compliance.
The social media of the world’s billionaires has not complied with that directive. After not complying with the first directive, the Ministry of Communications had made a second request to ensure the implementation of the decision of the meeting of August 6, 2081. That request was also not followed. On October 22, 2024, a letter was sent to the Chief Operating Officers (COOs) of some major social media platforms, requesting them to list the platforms in the Ministry of Communications and implement the guidelines, as well as the government’s decision.
To ensure compliance with the same guidelines, a notice was published in Gorkhapatra National Daily and The Rising Nepal on Magh 21, 2081, calling for listing, and the last time, on Chaitra 7, 2081, a notice was published again, giving a period of 30 days for listing. Even during this period, no additional social media platform operators have been listed with the ministry as per the Guidelines for Regulating the Use of Social Media, 2080.
After the Ministry of Communications repeatedly requested that the social media be registered, Minister of Communications Prithvi Subba Gurung has repeatedly warned that if the social media is not registered within a week, it will be closed as per the law, but has not been able to do anything. Earlier, the government was forced to lift the ban after facing heavy criticism for its decision to ban TikTok.
According to officials from the Ministry of Communications, the request was made with the expectation that social media users should use social media freely and that social media platform operators should operate their platforms in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the guidelines. Gajendra Thakur, spokesperson for the Ministry of Communications, said that no decision has been taken yet regarding the ban on social media.
Keeping in mind the interests of both social media platform operators and users, the ministry has repeatedly urged operators to register/list their social media platforms as per the guidelines, he said.
Thakur said, “In the past year, we have published notices 3 times. We have published notices within three to four months. We had called on all social media networks to be listed. Out of which, only Nimbaz came to register. The others did not. In the case of Facebook, most Nepalis use it. Therefore, we wrote to Meta twice via email saying that it would be much easier for us if Meta came to the listing process. We once had a virtual meeting with the Singapore team. They said they would inform the higher authorities. They have not been in touch yet.’
Thakur said that if social media is still not listed, then the process will be initiated according to the law. The reason why they have not been listed is being investigated. According to him, Nepal does not have its own social media right now. He said that social media plays an important role in dialogue and since this issue is also linked to freedom, the government is not in a position to shut it down directly.
Then, Minister for Communications, Information and Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung says that curbing the chaotic social media is the need of the day. At a program organized by the Nepal Press Union on Saturday, he said that rumors are being spread online and that social media is being used in an anarchic manner against religious, political and state power. The Minister of Communications also said that he was preparing to impose restrictions, but did not specify when they would be imposed.
As it is desirable to regulate the use of social media and promote self-regulation of social media platform operators and social media users, the government had issued the Guidelines for Regulating the Use of Social Media, 2080, exercising the authority granted by Section 79 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2063. The guidelines were published in the Nepal Gazette on Mangsir 11, 2080 and have come into effect. The guidelines have been issued in accordance with the same provision.
प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोस्