KATHMANDU: After a Cabinet meeting, the Nepali government decided to relax a nine-month ban on the Chinese video-sharing app TikTok. The parent business of TikTok, ByteDance, has three months to comply with the decision's requirements. These prerequisites include boosting travel to Nepal, funding digital literacy, endorsing public education, and making sure language usage on the platform is appropriate. The choice is in line with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's directive to create the required rules and treat all social media platforms equally.
The previous administration, led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, first banned TikTok in November, citing worries about the app's detrimental effects on society. Following discussions and guarantees from TikTok's South Asia subsidiary that it will abide by Nepalese laws and regulations, the government decided to lift the ban. TikTok had written to the Nepalese government several times, asking that the ban be reversed and claiming losses to the company's and the nation's finances.
Virtual private networks (VPNs) became more popular after the prohibition as people tried to get around regional limitations. Many of them switched to Facebook and Instagram Reels. Internet service providers stated that TikTok accounted for about 40% of internet bandwidth usage in Nepal despite the prohibition, demonstrating the platform's sizable user base. There were about 2.2 million TikTok users in the nation prior to the ban.
In response to the ban, the government introduced the ‘Directives on the Operation of Social Networking 2023,’ which required social media platforms like TikTok to establish liaison offices in Nepal and comply with a 19-point code of conduct. These regulations aimed to address concerns about fake IDs, hate speech, and the promotion of illegal activities. The absence of local representatives for these companies had made it difficult for authorities to address user complaints and remove objectionable content.
Aside from pointing out that technology restrictions are frequently ineffectual because users discover other methods to obtain services, opponents of the ban claimed that it was an assault on the right to free speech and expression. Online experts recommended that the government concentrate on introducing regulatory technology (RegTech) to improve compliance and regulatory procedures rather than enacting outright restrictions. TikTok is now permitted to restart operations under the specified terms after the government decided to lift the ban.
.jpg)
