Nepal Bans TikTok: "Negative Impact on Harmony"

Nepal has banned the use of the Chinese video platform TikTok, citing its negative impact on social harmony.

The Nepalese government made this decision during a cabinet meeting held on the 13th (local time), according to daily The Kathmandu Post and other sources.

However, the ban will be implemented after technical preparations are completed.

The Nepalese government stated that while freedom of expression is a fundamental right of citizens, there were public opinions that TikTok tends to encourage the use of hate speech, which led to this decision.

According to the government, 1,647 cases of cybercrime through TikTok have been reported in the past four years.

The Nepal Police, Ministry of Home Affairs, and TikTok representatives discussed the issue of banning TikTok earlier last week.

This decision came just days after the government introduced guidelines for the operation of social network platforms.

According to these guidelines, companies operating platforms in Nepal must establish offices locally.

On the 9th, the government required Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and others to open liaison offices in Nepal through a cabinet resolution.

Local media reported that this measure was taken considering the difficulties authorities faced in deleting inappropriate content posted on platforms and addressing user concerns related to specific platforms due to the absence of platform company representatives in Nepal.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.