Protests Continue Despite Lift on Social Media Ban: Here's What's Happening in Nepal

While this incident might have triggered agitation, the ongoing protests reflect long-brewing tensions between the Oli government and its people – and restricting access to digital spaces has always been used as a tactic to suppress dissent.

How would the ban have affected Nepal's citizens?

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology had mandated that all social media companies register in Nepal, establish a point of contact, and designate a resident grievance handling officer and compliance officer. The companies were given seven days to register but failed to meet the deadline.

The government argued that such regulations would allow them to hold platforms accountable for content moderation, tax compliance, and data management, but the move raises concerns about online accessibility, data privacy, and other digital rights.

The ban limits the scope of Nepal’s economy. One of the chief complaints of Nepalis is the inaction of the government in boosting economic opportunities, but the social media boom has given small and medium enterprises the platform to market their products and services and increase their engagement, who face the prospect of losing their customer base without access to digital spaces. Cracking down on these channels also disrupts communication for the diaspora living abroad for education and employment, impacting their relationships with friends and family.

Even though blocking platforms narrows the digital space and isolates Nepali users from global networks, forcing companies to adhere to its new social media laws also puts them at risk.

Strict local content regulations lead to over-censoring content – especially content that criticises the government and its policies – and restricting freedom of speech, press freedom, and the right to information. In-country registration also provides the government with backdoor access to regulators, paving the way for digital surveillance. Whenever “necessary”, the government could easily breach users’ privacy under the guise of “security” and “national interest”. It effectively curbs the right to dissent that is constitutionally guaranteed to all of Nepal’s citizens.

Nepal's history with digital censorship

This wasn't the first time Nepal had blocked online platforms either. In 2023, TikTok was banned for "disrupting social harmony, goodwill, and diffusing indecent material", which lasted for nine months until the executives agreed to comply with local rules and regulations.

Earlier this year as well, the government claimed that Telegram was used for online fraud and money laundering and blocked it. In the past, it has also stated that social media users create fake IDs to spread hate speech, fake news, and commit various crimes in the digital world.

The match that lit the fire

"We were triggered by the social media ban, but that is not the only reason we are gathered here," a student, Yujan Rajbhandari, 24, told The Guardian.

"We are protesting against corruption that has been institutionalised in Nepal."

Ikshama Tumrok, 20, another student, also stated that she was protesting against the "authoritarian attitude" of the government.

"We want to see change. Others have endured this, but it has to end with our generation," she told AFP.

The current uproar came after increasing frustrations with the ruling coalition and its governance. Social media plays a crucial role in dissent, giving the civil society a platform to voice their concerns and grievances, and banning it was simply the final straw.

This article is authored by Tejasree Kallakrinda, interning with Deccan Chronicle.