Major foreign social media turn a dear ear to repeated call for registration

 

KATHMANDU, MAY 6: Major international social media platforms operating in Nepal continue to disregard the government's repeated calls for registration. Despite multiple notices issued by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in accordance with the Social Media Management Directive 2080 (2023), major platforms like Meta, Twitter (X), and YouTube have yet to respond.

Section 3 of the directive mandates that all social media platforms must register within three months from the date of its enforcement. Following this, the Ministry issued its first public notice on February 3 (21st of Magh), requesting these platforms to initiate contact. When no response was received, a second notice was published on March 20 (7th of Chaitra). As the 30-day deadline for the second notice also passed without any engagement, the Ministry issued a third and final notice this past Sunday.

According to Ministry spokesperson Gajendra Kumar Thakur, all major social media companies were contacted multiple times via official email. "However, none of them have responded or established contact so far," he said. The directive clearly states that unregistered platforms may face operational restrictions if necessary. Nevertheless, the government is currently exploring strategies that cause minimal disruption. “A direct ban may not be the most appropriate solution at this stage, so we are discussing various alternatives,” Thakur explained.

So far, only a few platforms—Viber, WeTalk, TikTok, and recently Nimbuzz—have registered with the Ministry. Viber was the first to do so, while TikTok completed its registration last year. Prior to that, TikTok faced a nine-month ban in Nepal after refusing to comply with content moderation demands. The ban was lifted under certain agreed conditions. Nimbuzz registered just this past Sunday, according to spokesperson Thakur.

Meta’s platforms remain the most widely used in Nepal. Facebook alone has a market reach of 92.65%, followed by Twitter (X) at 4.1%, YouTube at 2.43%, Instagram at 0.34%, LinkedIn at 0.26%, and Pinterest at 0.13%. None of these platforms have contacted the Ministry.

What Happens to Unregistered Platforms?

Under the directive, the government retains the authority to take necessary action against platforms that fail to register. Any company wishing to operate in Nepal must appoint a representative and apply for registration, either in person or through an online portal. The government has stated that its intent is not to arbitrarily restrict any platform, but rather to curb the misuse of social media, the spread of misinformation, hate speech, and cybercrimes.

The Ministry notes that, unlike in some foreign cultures, there is a lack of awareness among Nepali users regarding responsible social media use. As a result, content that disrupts social harmony—whether knowingly or unknowingly—has been uploaded, sometimes leading to unforeseen consequences. Hence, the government's efforts aim to bring such activities under control.

While the government’s push for registration has a positive intent, experts say it is not uncommon for international companies to resist compliance with local regulations. Countries such as India, Australia, and members of the European Union have also faced challenges in enforcing similar regulations on global platforms.

Experts suggest that Nepal now needs to formulate a clearer and more assertive policy to deal with platforms that continue to avoid registration