Five Social Media Platforms Allowed to Operate, Others Face Ban: Social

 

Kathmandu: Despite the government’s decision to ban unlisted social media platforms, five platforms are set to operate freely in Nepal. The government had given a seven-day deadline, which expired at midnight on Wednesday, but major platforms including Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, and LinkedIn have not even been contacted for listing.

Ministerial-level discussions are currently underway at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology on how to shut down platforms that have not completed the listing process.

“Only five social media platforms have been listed as of Wednesday. No other social media platforms have been contacted for listing. The ministry will now move forward as per the cabinet’s decision,” ministry spokesperson Gajendra Kumar Thakur told TechPana. According to him, TikTok, Viber, Nimbuzz, BitTalk, and Poppo Live are the only listed platforms.

TikTok was listed only after being banned. Similarly, Telegram registered its application for listing via email after it was banned. Thakur said the ministry is still reviewing the documents submitted by Telegram before deciding whether or not to approve the listing.

The Chinese app TikTok was banned in November 2023, citing its negative impact on social harmony and the social environment. The ban lasted about 10 months and was lifted on 22 August 2024 following a Council of Ministers’ decision.

While lifting the ban, the government imposed conditions, including listing with the ministry, designating a contact point, supporting Nepal’s tourism promotion, contributing to digital security and literacy, enhancing public education with technology, and filtering content in Nepali and other local languages. After agreeing to these conditions, TikTok was officially listed in Kartik 2081 (October/November 2024).

On 21 May, TikTok submitted a progress report to the ministry. In line with its commitments, TikTok signed an agreement with the Nepal Tourism Board in the first week of Bhadra to promote Nepal’s tourism. TikTok remains one of the most popular short video platforms in Nepal.

Viber was listed with the Ministry of Communications in Falgun 2080 (February/March 2024) under the social network management guidelines. Having completed all procedures, it will not face a ban.

Nimbuzz, an emerging super app used for messaging, video/audio calls, and file transfers, was listed in Asoj 2081 (October/November 2024). Similarly, BitTalk was listed in Chaitra 2081 (March/April 2025). The most recent addition is Poppo Live, which completed the listing process just last month.

 

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