KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 7

The government has once again urged all social networking platforms to complete the registration process in Nepal.

In a press statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology called on all social media platforms to register in the country, reiterating the government's commitment to fostering a systematic and accountable digital environment while safeguarding the constitutional right to freedom of expression.

Ministry Spokesperson and Joint Secretary Gajendra Thakur urged platforms to appoint a focal person and designate an in-country grievance-handling officer or team in order to comply with self-regulation requirements. He further clarified that registration incurs no cost and that deactivated platforms will be reactivated upon successful enlistment.

The Ministry stressed that social networking platforms must operate in full compliance with Nepali laws. It emphasized that no platform can function beyond the bounds of legal provisions, highlighting registration as an essential prerequisite.

According to the Ministry, Smart Idea Pvt. Ltd. (Hamro Patro) and Global Diary Pvt. Ltd. have already been reactivated after completing their registration. Similarly, international platforms such as Twitter (formerly X) and WeChat have initiated communication with officials regarding the enlistment process.

The Ministry also cautioned users against relying on unsafe, unofficial, and potentially risky virtual private networks (VPNs) to access deactivated platforms. Officials underscored that the regulated operation of social networking platforms is vital to safeguarding national interests.

Earlier, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) directed mobile and internet service providers to restrict access to 26 unregistered social networking platforms, including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, Snapchat, WeChat, among others. Service providers have since complied by disabling access to these platforms.

A ministerial-level meeting held on Thursday resolved to deactivate all unregistered platforms in line with a Supreme Court directive and the Council of Ministers' decision of August 25.

The Ministry emphasized that the government's move is intended not to restrict or suppress social networking platforms but rather to create an environment that promotes their systematic, responsible, and accountable use through self-regulation.

(With inputs from Rastriya Samachar Samiti)