Nepal bans TikTok, cites social disharmony caused by content
PTC News Desk: Nepal government on Monday banned the social media app TikTok. A complete technical ban will come into effect later, said Nepal's Minister of Information and Communications, Rekha Sharma.
"TikTok has been banned in Nepal on a policy level from today. The technical aspect of banning would take some time. The Ministry of Information and Communications would facilitate bringing the ban into effect," the minister said.
The Nepalese government made the decision after content shared on TikTok allegedly disrupted social harmony and shattered societal relationships.
In the last four years and three months, a total of 1648 cases of cybercrime have been reported to the Nepal Police's cyber bureau, with the majority involving TikTok content.
TikTok, a Chinese social media platform, does not have any provisions for removing offensive content. With this latest move, Nepal becomes the latest country to ban TikTok, which is already prohibited in more than 50 countries.
The latest decision comes just days after the government issued the 'Directives on the Operation of Social Networking 2023'.
According to the new rule, social media platforms that operate in Nepal must establish offices there.
The country made it mandatory for social media platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and YouTube, among others, to open liaison offices in Nepal on Thursday.
Within three months of the directives' implementation, the companies must either establish an office or appoint a focal person in Nepal. They have also been told that they must register their social media platforms with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology or risk being shut down.
- ANI
