Unregistered Social Media Platforms to Go Dark in Nepal

The government has directed the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) to block all social media platforms that are not registered in Nepal, following the expiry of the latest deadline.

In a notice issued Thursday, September 4, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology said the NTA, the country’s telecom regulator, has been instructed to make unregistered platforms inactive until they complete the registration process. The move comes after no platform complied within the timeframe set by the Cabinet, which on August 25's meeting had decided to urge operators to register under the Guidelines for Regulating Social Media, 2023 and in line with a Supreme Court order.

Officials said the requirement is intended to ensure accountability and make operators answerable for content and activities on their platforms. But, many observers argue that the way the authorities have moved forward curtails the freedom of speech and expression by restricting access to social media platforms which become the primary medium of communication.  

Gajendra Kumar Thakur, ministry spokesperson, confirmed that the process to ban unregistered platforms has moved forward, though he did not specify when the ban would be enforced. “Despite repeated reminders, including to Facebook and X, registration under the directive has not been completed,” he said.

Authorities say rising crimes linked to social media—ranging from fraud to harassment—are harder to investigate when platforms remain outside Nepal’s regulatory framework.

The government recently blocked Telegram, citing its role in financial crimes and its failure to register. That ban is now being challenged in the Supreme Court. TikTok was also banned for nine months. It resumed operations after registering.

The 2023 guidelines make registration mandatory for any platform operating in Nepal. A separate bill tabled in Parliament seeks to strengthen enforcement, including fines of up to Rs 2.5 million for operating unregistered services.

Only Five Platforms Registered
So far, only TikTok, Viber, Nimbuzz, WeTalk, and Poppo Live have registered in Nepal. “There are around 100 platforms active in Nepal, but only five have registered,” Thakur said.

Tax vs. Regulatory Registration

While most global platforms remain unregistered under the guidelines, many are enrolled with the tax authorities. The Inland Revenue Department has confirmed that Meta services such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp; Alphabet’s YouTube, Google, and Gmail; as well as Microsoft platforms are registered for tax purposes and regularly pay VAT and digital service taxes. Nepal’s laws require digital service taxes to be paid on revenues generated through transactions conducted via social media platforms.