Nepal rescinds social media restriction following violent demonstrations | Global Affairs News

Following fatal protests, Nepal has lifted a ban on social media platforms including Facebook and YouTube. The demonstrations, which primarily involved Gen Z individuals, led to the deaths of 19 people and the injury of many more.
Alongside social media, the rallies also opposed the alleged government corruption with attendees chanting, “Stop the ban on social media, stop corruption not social media.”
On Tuesday, Nepal’s technology minister, Prithvi Subba Gurung, announced the end of the social media ban imposed last week, stating “We have withdrawn the shutdown of the social media. They are working now.”

The government had initially imposed the shutdown, claiming that social media companies had not registered their operations in Nepal as requested.
TikTok and Viber were among the five platforms that remained accessible as they had already complied with the registration requirement.

In response to the protests, the government had planned to introduce legislation aimed at “properly managing, ensuring the responsibility and accountability of social media networks,” which critics deemed as a tool for censorship and punishment of government opponents who voiced their protests online.

The violence during these protests was most severe in Kathmandu, where authorities used tear gas, water cannons, and reportedly fired on protesters attempting to breach the parliament building, while a curfew was imposed in the city. Itahari also witnessed violence, resulting in fatalities there as well.