KATHMANDU, Nov 20: An additional writ petition has been filed at the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday against the government's decision to ban TikTok.

Earlier, a total of 10 writ petitions were filed at the apex demanding the withdrawal of the controversial decision. Advocate Jagannath Dulal filed a separate writ petition on Monday. 

In the writ petitions, the government's decision has been challenged arguing that the decision to ban TikTok violates people’s right to freedom of expression guaranteed by the constitution.

The new writ petition also calls for the cancellation of the correspondence from the Nepal Telecommunication Authority to internet service providers. It has been claimed in the writ petition that the ban on Tiktok violates people’s right to information, especially at a time when many citizens rely on the platform for getting information.

The writ petition also mentions that the intellectual property of those who have ventured their creations through Tiktok is worth millions of rupees and the property rights have also been violated when Tiktok is closed.

Furthermore, the writ petition urges the government to establish a legal framework for managing digital platforms. If deemed necessary, it calls for a directive order to initiate the drafting of legislation in accordance with the Constitution of Nepal, international norms, and established practices.

Although the hearing for the writ petitions filed last Friday was initially set for Monday, the hearing did not take place before the single bench of Justice Kumar Chudal. The hearing for the writ petition Monday is scheduled for Tuesday.

 
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