The Nepalese government on Thursday instituted a widespread block on major social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), restricting access to 26 platforms across the country. The decision, enforced by the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), follows the platforms’ failure to comply with the directive requiring registration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology within three months.

The directive, issued under the 2023 Directive on Regulating the Use of Social Media, requires platforms to establish a local liaison office, appoint a grievance officer, and implement self-regulation mechanisms. The deadline for compliance, set on August 28, expired on September 3, prompting the government’s decisive action.

The decision was taken at a ministerial-level meeting chaired by Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung, according to ministry sources. The government stated that the move is intended to implement the Supreme Court’s mandamus order (Case No. 080-8-0012)  as well as earlier Cabinet decisions.

Earlier, a joint bench of Justice Tek Prasad Dhungana and Shanti Singh Thapa had directed the government to restrict unregistered social media platforms, over-the-top (OTT) apps, and internet browsers that broadcast advertisements in Nepal. The court also ordered that foreign broadcasters obtain permission to operate in Nepal and instructed the government to draft the necessary regulations. The Supreme Court upheld the registration requirement last month, aiming to curb misinformation and ensure platforms are properly managed.

Ministry spokesman Gajendra Kumar Thakur said, “Unregistered social media platforms will be deactivated from today onwards.” Minister Gurung added, “We gave them enough time to register and repeatedly requested them to comply with our request, but they ignored this, and we had to shut their operations in Nepal.”

The NTA, acting on instructions from its line ministry, published a list of 26 platforms to be blocked. The affected platforms include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, Reddit, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Discord, Pinterest, Signal, Threads, WeChat, Quora, Tumblr, Clubhouse, Rumble, Line, Imo, Jalo, Sol, Hamro Patro, Mi Video, Mi Vike3 and others. Notably, TikTok and Viber are among the social media apps not affected by the latest order, as they have already registered with the government. X has recently registered itself on Friday.

In response, users on Facebook and X began posting what they described as their “last photos,” expressing shock and dismay at the sudden decision. Writ petitions have been submitted to the Supreme Court challenging the government’s decision to ban unregistered social media platforms. According to Nirajan Pandey, assistant spokesperson for the Supreme Court, the petitions have not yet been registered. He said, “Petitions have been received from many people. The Supreme Court is still reviewing them.”

The Social Media Bill 2081 has been registered at the National Assembly on January 28, 2025, to regulate social networking platforms. Communication Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung registered the bill, which will convert to the Social Media Act, 2081, after approval.