Nepal Bans TikTok, Citing Disruption to Social Harmony

Following a cabinet meeting, Nepal announced a ban on TikTok that would go into effect immediately, but without details for implementation. AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File

This past Monday, the Nepali government announced a ban on TikTok, the video-sharing app that has accrued over 1 billion users globally. Officials pointed to the prevalent hate content on the app as the main justification for the ban. 

Rekha Sharma, Nepal’s Minister for Communications and Information Technology, said that TikTok was a disruption to Nepal’s “social harmony, family structure and family relations.” Authorities added that the ban would be effective immediately, though they did not provide details on when Nepal users would lose access to the app.

The ban comes on the heels of another decision outlining a new set of rules and restrictions for social media companies in the country. The cabinet passed a series of directives requiring companies to establish either a liaison office or focal person within Nepal. Additionally, companies must register with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology or risk being shut down. The authorities also released a 19-point list of “not-to-dos” for social media platforms, which includes bans on vulgar language, hate speech, the promotion of child labor or human trafficking, and more. 

A particularly contentious issue that has surfaced on the platform involves virtual attacks between Nepal’s Hindu, Muslim, and Indigenous communities over the slaughter of cows. The government claims that these virtual conflicts have stoked religious hate and led to real offline clashes. Local media reports indicate that nearly 1,600 TikTok-related cyber crimes have been registered in Nepal over the last four years. 

There has been pushback from critics who accuse the government of using the ban as a means of stifling free speech. The Freedom Forum, a Nepali civil society organization, posted a statement accusing the government of limiting Nepalese citizen’s constitutionally-guaranteed right to freely express their opinions and access information, as well as their ability to participate in conversation in the “global digital community.”

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before the US Congress in March earlier this year. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Gagan Thapa, the General Secretary of the Nepali Congress, expressed similar sentiments in a Facebook post, claiming that the ban limits space for personal freedom and serves political purposes over genuine protection for users.

Nepal joins a growing list of countries taking measures to ban or restrict TikTok, largely driven by concerns related to China. TikTok, owned by ByteDance, founded by Chinese entrepreneurs, has raised apprehensions among officials in many countries who fear potential access by Beijing to sensitive user data through the app. There are also concerns China could use TikTok’s content recommendations to push misinformation to global audiences, though TikTok has long denied any such allegations.

Back in March of this year, US lawmakers called TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew before Congress, grilling him for nearly six hours over the platform’s data security and content. In that same month, US government agencies were told to delete the app from all federal devices and systems.

India has enacted a complete ban on the app, while the European Union, along with countries such as France, Belgium, Canada, Australia, have instituted restrictions around TikTok on government devices or use by government employees. Neighboring Pakistan has temporarily banned the app multiple times over the last few years, putting Nepal in a push-and-pull with China and the other major powers in the region.