Kathmandu, April 24: Inspector General of Nepal Police, Dan Bahadur Karki, has warned that cyberbullying and other forms of cybercrime are increasing rapidly in Nepal.
Speaking at a meeting of the Federalism Strengthening and National Concerns Committee on Thursday, IGP Karki said cybercrime cases have surged alongside the growing use of the internet and mobile phones, with women and young people among the most affected.
According to police data, more than 4,000 complaints related to hate speech spread through fake social media accounts have been registered. Similarly, over 3,000 cases of bullying and harassment have been reported, while financial crimes account for more than 10,000 complaints. These include account hacking, online fraud, threats, and cases of sexual exploitation.
“There has been a significant rise in cyberbullying cases in Nepal. Financial crimes are the most prevalent, followed by fake accounts and harassment-related incidents,” Karki said.
He noted that investigating cybercrime remains challenging, as most social media platforms are operated by foreign companies. Meta Platforms-owned platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are widely used in Nepal but are not registered in the country.
Karki said police often have to rely on informal channels to obtain user data, which can delay investigations. In most cases, it takes 20–25 days to receive user details, though urgent cases such as missing children or suicide-related incidents may be addressed within 24 hours.
He added that platforms like Discord, X, Snapchat, Reddit, YouTube, and Gmail often do not respond to requests for user data or content removal.
Although some platforms such as TikTok, Viber, WeChat, Nimbuzz, and Koo are registered in Nepal, major global platforms remain outside the regulatory framework, complicating law enforcement efforts.
Karki stressed the need for stronger legal provisions, mandatory registration of digital platforms, and stricter enforcement mechanisms to effectively combat cybercrime. He warned that existing laws are insufficient to address the growing scale and complexity of online offences. #Nepal #cybercrime
