The government of Nepal has made its decision to withdraw the social media bill 2081. Making the decision in a cabinet meeting today (Magh 20, 2082), the interim government led by PM Mrs. Sushila Karki withdrew the social media bill, which was formulated for social networks’ operation, use, and regulation in Nepal.
The decision approves the decision to withdraw the social media bill from the federal parliament. So, it won’t convert to the Social Media Act – 2081.
The then Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, introduced this bill. It was registered in the National Assembly (Upper House) on Magh 15, 2081. But the bill triggered wide criticism and could not progress to become the law. Mostly, it was criticized by various sections for possibly restricting the freedom of expression and the freedom of the press.
The previous government of KP Sharma Oli tried to move forward with the bill. But after the social media ban, the Gen Z protest erupted on Bhadra 23 and 24 across the country, demanding good governance, and also protesting the restriction on using social networks. In the subsequent events, the former PM Oli resigned after the protest turned on its head.
The interim government of Mrs. Karki has now decided to withdraw the social media bill. If it wishes to formulate a new law for the operation and regulation of social media in Nepal, it has to introduce a new bill. Here, you can check out the list of registered and unregistered social media in Nepal.
