Nepal Moves Against TikTok, Cites Disruption Of ‘Social Harmony’

Nepal’s Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma says the government is seriously considering banning Tik Tok because the popular video-sharing platform ‘disrupts family structures’

The platform, with over a billion monthly users globally, has faced restrictions in many countries for alleged breaches of data rules and for the potentially harmful impact on youth of some content.

Sharma said given the negative effects on Nepal’s “social harmony”; “The decision to ban was made today (Monday, November 13, 2023), and relevant authorities are currently addressing the technical issues.”

The Minister explained that the decision was due to TikTok’s consistent usage to share content that “disturbs social harmony and disrupts family structures and social relations”.

Though the Minister did not specify what post(s) had triggered the ban, hours after the decision was made public, videos on the ban already had thousands on views on TikTok.

Gagan Thapa, leader of the Nepali Congress Party which is part of the ruling coalition, said the government’s intention seems to be to “stifle freedom of expression”.

He said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that; “Regulation is necessary to discourage those who abuse social media, but shutting down social media in the name of regulation is completely wrong,”

The decision comes days after Nepal introduced a directive requiring social media platforms operating in the country to set up offices.

TikTok is the sixth-most used social platform in the world, according to the “We Are Social” marketing agency. Multiple countries have sought to tighten controls on social media due to their potential impact on children.

TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, is Chinese, but the company rejects criticism that it is under Beijing’s direct control.

Although trailing the likes of Meta’s long-dominant trio of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram in popularity and public usage, Tik Tok’s growth among young people far outstrips its competitors – Agency reports