Kathmandu, Sept 4: The Government of Nepal has announced that it will gradually block META (Facebook, WhatsApp), X, YouTube and other unregistered popular social media platforms.
The decision was made during a meeting held at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, chaired by Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung. The ministry said the move follows the Cabinet decision of August 25 (Bhadra 9, 2082 BS), which instructed all social media platforms operating in Nepal to complete registration within a week.
Since major platforms failed to comply, the government has now enforced the ban.
“Unregistered social media platforms will gradually be shut down starting today. Only those that complete the registration process will be allowed to operate,” Minister Gurung said.
The ministry has already forwarded the implementation order to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA).
Popular platforms registered so far
According to officials, TikTok, Viber, Nimbuzz, WeTalk, and Opolight have completed their registration. Similarly, Telegram and Global Link are in the process of being registered. All other platforms—including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter (X), and LinkedIn—face shutdown in Nepal until they comply.
Background of regulation
Concerns over the misuse of social media led the government, under former Minister Rekha Sharma, to draft the Social Media Operation and Management Directive, 2080 (2023).
The directive requires all platforms operating in Nepal to:
- Register within three months of operation.
- Renew their licenses every three years.
- Face immediate suspension if they fail to register.
To manage this, the government has also established a Social Media Management Unit under the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.
Latest call for registration
Based on Cabinet instructions, the ministry on August 28, 2025 issued a public notice urging global platforms—Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, and others—to register. However, officials confirmed that no formal applications were submitted by the midnight deadline on Wednesday.
Mayor Balen Shah takes jab
In response to the government’s decision to shut down certain social media platforms, Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah (Balendra Shah) has taken a jab at the government through a post on social media.
Posting a status that reads “From tomorrow, we shall only meet in dreams,” Mayor Shah indirectly criticized the move.
He wrote:
From tomorrow, we shall only meet in dreams,
Once the doors on the streets are locked.
Stepping outside, our hearts may unite,
Until swallowed by the midst of arrogance.
Just remember me,
I will appear in the night.
No world can stand between us,
For I will hold your hand tight.
