Nepal Imposes Ban On Chinese Short-Video App TikTok for 'encouraging hate speech'

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• Nov 13, 2023 | Dhupali Das

The Nepal government has decided to ban the Chinese short-form video app TikTok, citing concerns over...

Digital Desk: The Nepal government has decided to ban the Chinese short-form video app TikTok, citing concerns over its negative impact on social harmony. The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting, as reported by the Kathmandu Post.

A significant portion of Nepalese society has criticized TikTok for allegedly fostering a culture of hate speech, prompting the government to take decisive action. However, the specific timeline for the implementation of the ban has yet to be determined.

Nepal's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, stated, "The decision to ban TikTok will be implemented shortly, but no specific deadline has been set," according to The Himalayan Times.

This move comes in the wake of the Nepal government's recent mandate that social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter (now known as X), YouTube, and TikTok, establish offices within the country. The objective is to address increasing complaints about the absence of company representatives in Nepal, hindering the authorities' ability to address user concerns and remove objectionable content from these platforms.

All social media platforms operating in Nepal are required to set up an office or designate a representative within three months of the directive taking effect. Additionally, companies must register their platforms with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology. Non-compliance may lead to the shutdown of platforms lacking proper registration within the Nepalese jurisdiction.

TikTok, owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, faced a similar fate in India, where it was banned on June 29, 2020, due to national security concerns. India had been one of TikTok's largest markets outside China, with the app experiencing massive popularity since its launch in September 2016. In 2019, TikTok was the most downloaded app in India on the Android platform. The decision to ban TikTok in Nepal underscores growing global scrutiny of the platform and its potential impact on societal harmony.