KATHMANDU, May 12: The government, led by the two largest political parties in the nation—the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML—has repeatedly sent letters to several social media platforms operating in Nepal to be registered with government authorities. However, the majority of these platforms have ignored these requests.
According to the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MoCIT), only four social media platforms have been registered so far. Over 40 social media platforms are operating in Nepal.
Viber, WeTalk, TikTok, and Nimbuzz are the only platforms registered under Nepal's laws. Platforms under Meta, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, have not been registered. Similarly, global platforms like Elon Musk's X, Snapchat, LinkedIn, WeChat, YouTube, Telegram, Truth, and Reddit are also operating in Nepal, but they are yet to be registered with the MoCIT according to Nepalese laws.
Using the authority granted by Section 79 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2063, the government had introduced a directive to regulate the use of social media.
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Accordingly, on December 1, 2023, the MoCIT, for the first time, mandated that any individual, company, or organization wishing to operate a social media platform must register their platform with the ministry within three months from the date of publication of the notice.
The directive also required the appointment of a local contact point in Nepal, a residential grievance officer, and an officer to monitor compliance with self-regulation. However, major global social media platforms owned by some of the world’s richest individuals have not complied with this directive.
After the first directive was ignored, the MoCIT issued a second notice following a decision made during the meeting on August 22, 2024, emphasizing the need to ensure implementation. However, this notice was also not followed. On October 22, 2024, the MoCIT even sent formal communication via email addressed to the chief operating officers (COOs) of several major social media platforms, urging them to register their platforms with the MoCIT, comply with the directive, and implement the government's decision.
To ensure compliance with the directive, a public notice was published in the national daily Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal on February 3, 2025, calling for registration. A final notice was then issued on March 20, 2025, granting a 30-day deadline for registration. Despite these efforts, as of now, no operators of any additional social media platforms have registered with the Ministry in accordance with the Directive on Management of the Use of Social Media Networks, 2080 BS.
Despite repeated notices from the Ministry of Communication, social media platforms have failed to register. Communication Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung has repeatedly warned that platforms failing to register within a week would be shut down in accordance with the law, but no concrete action has been taken so far. Previously, the government had faced intense criticism for its decision to ban TikTok and was ultimately forced to lift the restriction.
Despite repeated notices from the MoCIT, social media platforms have failed to register. Communication Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung has repeatedly warned that platforms failing to register within a week would be shut down in accordance with the law, but no concrete action has been taken so far. Previously, the government had faced intense criticism for its decision to ban TikTok and was ultimately forced to lift the restriction.
In order to regulate the use of social media and to promote self-regulation among social media platform operators and users, the government issued the Directive on Management of the Use of Social Media Networks, 2080 BS, by exercising the authority granted under Section 79 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2063. This directive was published in the Nepal Gazette on November 27, 2023, and has since been in effect. Based on this provision, the government has been issuing repeated notices to enforce compliance.
