KATHMANDU, Aug 25: Nearly a month after the government imposed a ban on the messaging app Telegram, the company has formally applied to operate in Nepal under the country’s laws.
According to the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Telegram sent an email late Saturday expressing its readiness to register and comply with Nepal’s legal requirements. The ministry registered the application on Sunday and is now reviewing the submitted documents, spokesperson and joint secretary Gajendra Kumar Thakur confirmed.
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The government imposed the ban on August 17, citing a surge in online fraud, money laundering, and other criminal activities facilitated through the platform. Following the directive, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority instructed all telecom and internet service providers to block access to Telegram.
After the ban, Telegram dispatched its representative Sandeep Yadav to Kathmandu, where he held discussions with government officials for about an hour and a half. During the meeting, officials explained the reasons behind the ban and outlined the legal framework governing social media platforms in Nepal. They assured that if Telegram complied with the laws and completed the registration process, the government would facilitate its operation.
Thakur said Telegram’s documents would be thoroughly examined before moving forward. “If any company agrees to operate under Nepal’s laws, there is no justification for keeping the ban. We are clear that technology should not be restricted, but it must comply with the law,” he added.
The government is expected to hold consultations with stakeholders before deciding whether to lift the ban.
Meanwhile, rights groups and civil society organizations have criticized the government’s move, with 28 organizations calling the ban a violation of constitutional rights to freedom of expression. Since the restriction, Nepal has seen a nearly 15 percent rise in VPN traffic as users sought alternative ways to access the app.
