Nepal has taken a bold step by ordering the immediate blocking of major social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and X, along with around 20 others, due to their failure to establish local offices or register with the government.
The move, announced by Minister for Communication and Information Prithvi Subba Gurung, comes despite a regulatory bill still pending parliamentary approval. Only TikTok, Viber, and a few other platforms that complied with the registration requirements are exempt and continue to operate.
The government’s stated goal is straightforward: it requires foreign social media companies to set up a legal entity and appoint a local contact person to ensure accountability and monitor online content. However, the decision has sparked immediate backlash from rights groups, who warn of censorship and a potential crackdown on free expression. Critics argue that the rushed implementation — before the bill is fully debated — suggests a broader agenda to control online discourse rather than a genuine regulatory need.
The economic rationale behind the platforms’ likely defiance is hard to ignore. Nepal’s internet advertising market is minuscule, unlikely to generate revenue significant enough to justify the cost of maintaining a local representative for each company. This raises questions about the practicality of the demand. Moreover, with India as a neighboring giant, companies may hesitate further.
India’s handling of Twitter, where a local representative was effectively made a scapegoat without additional legislation, serves as a cautionary tale. India’s vast market offers a compelling incentive to comply, whereas Nepal’s smaller digital economy might not wield the same leverage — potentially shooting itself in the foot with this aggressive stance.
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While the government frames the block as a necessary step to curb misinformation and cybercrime, the lack of proportional economic benefit for tech giants could mean continued resistance. Whether this standoff will force a policy rethink or push Nepal toward stricter enforcement remains uncertain, but the move has already ignited a heated debate over the balance between regulation and freedom online.
