Nepal bans FB, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, 22 other platforms; TikTok remains accessible

New Delhi: The Nepalese government has imposed a nationwide ban on 26 unregistered social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, and X, effective midnight Thursday, September 4, 2025. 

The decision, driven by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, leaves TikTok, Viber, and a handful of other compliant platforms as the only major social media services accessible in the country.

The ban stems from a Supreme Court directive and the Directives for Managing the Use of Social Networks, 2023, which mandate that all online platforms, domestic and foreign, register with the government to operate legally in Nepal

The Ministry issued a seven-day ultimatum on August 28, requiring companies to apply for registration by September 3. None of the major global platforms, including Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Alphabet (YouTube), X, Reddit, or LinkedIn, complied with the deadline. 

In contrast, TikTok, Viber, Witk, Nimbuzz, and Popo Live are already registered, while Telegram and Global Diary await approval.

Ministry spokesperson Gajendra Kumar Thakur stated, “Except for the five listed platforms and two in the process, all others will be deactivated inside Nepal.” 

He emphasised that any platform completing registration would regain access immediately, aiming to quell concerns about permanent restrictions.

The government defends the ban as a necessary step to regulate harmful content, citing issues like misinformation, hate speech, and cybercrime. Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung claimed that major platforms, including Meta, repeatedly ignored registration requests, with Meta arguing that Nepal’s regulations lack legal clarity and conflict with its global policies.

This is not Nepal’s first clash with social media giants. In November 2023, the Pushpa Kamal Dahal government banned TikTok, only to lift the restriction in August 2024 after the platform complied with registration requirements. The current ban, however, is unprecedented in scale, targeting 26 platforms simultaneously and prompting fears of broader censorship under the guise of regulation.