Nepal Bans 26 Major Social Media Platforms, Including Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube, Over Registration Failure
Nepal has officially unbanned 26 major social media platforms that were previously restricted due to registration failures. Popular platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube are now accessible once again.
Kathmandu, Nepal – [09-04-2025] – The Nepali government has declared a blanket ban on 26 social media sites, including international powerhouses such as Facebook, X (previously Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube. The extreme action is taken because these platforms have allegedly not registered and opened offices in Nepal, as required by the social media laws in the country.
On Thursday, the ban was confirmed by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, which said that internet service providers (ISPs) were told to prevent access to these platforms. The action comes after a series of warnings by the government, which had given the social media companies a deadline in which they were supposed to comply with its Social Media Operation Directive by offering their contact points and offices formally within Nepal.
The detailed list of banned services also contains well-known social networks like Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube, as well as 22 other content-sharing and messaging applications that exist in the whole world but do not have a registered presence in Nepal.
The ability of users in Nepal to access these platforms will be slowly reduced as ISPs implement the directive. These companies had already received several notices from the government requesting them to adhere to the directive as it seeks to regulate the content, fight fake news, and hold the participants of online activity accountable within the borders of Nepal.
The government claims that it is difficult to counteract the problem of spreading misinformation, hate speech, cybercrime, and user data protection, as there is no registered office. Moreover, the government has complained that revenue generated by these platforms is not being duly included in the Nepal tax system, thereby evading tax.
The digital environment in Nepal is likely to be substantially affected by the sweeping ban. These sites provide millions of Nepali users with communication, news, entertainment, and e-commerce.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are among the biggest users of social media in marketing, advertising, and selling their products, are expected to be crippled. Forms of censorship have also been criticized, and concerns have been expressed regarding the possible effects on the right to talk and right to information; with such a blanket ban, the critics argue, people cannot freely talk and even express dissent.
It is not clear how many days the ban will span and whether the concerned social media firms will relocate to Nepal and register their operations. To lift the ban, the platforms would have required a legal presence. They would have to comply with the government rules, something some companies in other jurisdictions have been unwilling to do because of fears of data privacy, content regulation, and operational complications. The Nepali government has shown that the ban will stay in place until compliance is realized.
This step puts Nepal in line with an increasingly popular trend of countries demanding more access to international digital platforms, with other countries potentially imitating its example of imposing national legislation on international technology companies that have a presence in their local jurisdiction.
Since Nepali users are accustomed to abrupt changes in their online world, the government suggested that other social media sites that have passed the registration test are still functioning. Popular services like TikTok, Viber, Nimbuzz, Wetalk, and Popolive are being used, giving some continuity to communication and content sharing in the country.
Note: After the recent social media restrictions, you can now connect with Highroute Adventure directly via email or Viber for all inquiries and support.
