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Nepal decides to ban TikTok citing negative effects on social harmony

KathmanduEdited By: Harshit SabarwalUpdated: Nov 13, 2023, 04:35 PM IST
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File photo of TikTok logo. Photograph:(Reuters)

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According to a report by The Kathmandu Post, the government said that a large section of the society criticised TikTok for encouraging a tendency of hate speech.

Nepal has decided to ban the Chinese short-form video app TikTok citing its negative effects on social harmony, local media reported on Monday (Nov 13). According to a report by The Kathmandu Post, the government said that a large section of the society criticised TikTok for encouraging a tendency of hate speech. It is not yet known when the ban will be implemented. 

The report said that in the last four years, over 1,600 cases of cybercrime were reported on the app. The decision to ban TikTok comes days after the government introduced the "Directives on the Operation of Social Networking 2023."

This law states that social media platforms operating in Nepal including Facebook, X and YouTube are required to set up their offices in the country. Earlier, an increasing number of citizens complained the absence of social media companies' representatives in the country as it made it difficult for authorities to address their concerns and even remove objectional content from such platforms.

The law adds that the social media companies will either establish their office in Nepal or appoint a focal person within three months of enforcement of the directives, as per the report.

The platforms will have to be registered with the country's information and communication technology ministry. A failure of registration can lead to a shutdown of such platforms.