With the Nepal government's decision to ban TikTok in the country, there is an ongoing debate on the benefits and damage that social media can cause. A writ petition has been filed at the Supreme Court demanding the annulment of the decision of the Council of Ministers to ban TikTok in Nepal. TikTok has also written a letter to the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) expressing its dissatisfaction.
After a Cabinet meeting decided to ban TikTok in Nepal on November 13, the NTA wrote a letter to the internet service providers and instructed them to block access to TikTok.
There was increased popularity of TikTok in Nepal, but many of its contents were found to be violent and inappropriate for the public. As per reports, over the last four years in Nepal alone, more than 1,600 TikTok-related cyber crimes have been reported to the police.
After the government of Nepal issued directives on the 10th of November to regulate social media sites like Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok, they were required to establish their liaison office in the country. Also, the rule prohibits the posting of vulgar content, hate speech, spreading of fake news, cyberbullying and matters related to terrorism. But as content on TikTok was increasingly found inappropriate, it was banned in Nepal as it was disrupting social harmony.
TikTok has been banned in numerous countries and regions around the world including India, Australia and the European Union.
Sweta Singh(Kathmandu)
