• Nepal has banned 26 social media platforms, including Facebook and X, for failing to register with the government.
• The ban follows a Supreme Court directive for mandatory registration and compliance oversight.
• Only a few platforms like TikTok and Viber have registered, while others face immediate shutdown.
• The government aims to curb online abuse, misinformation, and maintain social order.
• Critics argue the ban threatens freedom of expression and may hinder public communication.

Nepal has issued a ban on 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and X, following their failure to register with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology within the allocated seven-day period. This decision is a response to a Supreme Court directive mandating that both domestic and foreign online platforms must register with authorities before operating in the country, allowing for content monitoring. "Unregistered social media platforms will be deactivated today onward," stated ministry spokesman Gajendra Kumar Thakur, emphasizing compliance as essential for ongoing operations, according to Indiatimes, Reuters, and AA.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology had previously warned companies to comply, highlighting that failure to register would result in operational shutdowns. Critics argue that such a move affects fundamental rights and freedoms, asserting that while regulation is needed, sudden closure of platforms may lead to chaos. "This directly hits the fundamental rights of the public," stated Bhola Nath Dhungana, president of Digital Rights Nepal, reflecting the concerns of many citizens, according to Al Jazeera and Indiatimes.

Amidst the backlash, the government indicated that service could be restored once platforms meet registration requirements. "We gave them enough time to register and repeatedly requested them to comply," remarked Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, stressing the imperative nature of local regulatory adherence. TikTok and a few other platforms have successfully registered, thereby avoiding the ban. However, many popular platforms remain blocked until compliance is achieved, as the government seeks to combat issues of misinformation and cybercrime proliferated through social media channels, according to Al Jazeera, AA, and Reuters.