- Nepal's government has registered TikTok, Viber, Nimbuzz, WeTalk, and Popo Live.
- Unregistered platforms include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and many others.
- The ban impacts bandwidth and users are using VPNs, raising data security concerns.
The social media ban has dominated Nepal’s tech discussion this week. Some are voicing their opinion in its favor, while many are criticizing the restrictions. But as the government’s decision fell on the ‘unregistered social media’ platforms, you might be curious which are registered and which ones are not, in Nepal. Here, we have the list that concerns the government and the ban.
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Registered social media in Nepal
These are the five registered social media platforms in Nepal.
- TikTok
- Viber
- Nimbuzz
- WeTalk
- Popo Live
Viber is a registered social media platform in Nepal. TikTok also registered after facing an almost year-long ban starting in November 2023. Besides, Nimbuzz, WeTalk, and currently popular Popo Live are also on the government’s registry.
Social media are extremely popular and are some of the most popular apps in Nepal. Not just that, Nepal’s over 80% bandwidth is said to be consumed for social media use. That’s why the social media ban effects includes issues on bandwidth too.
Unregistered social media in Nepal
Here are the social media platforms or apps that are unregistered with the government.
- Messenger
- YouTube
- X (Twitter)
- Hamro Patro
- Snapchat
- Discord
- Threads
- Quora
- Signal
- Tumblr
- Clubhouse
- Mastodon
- Rumble
- MeWe
- VK
- Line
- IMO
- Zalo
- Soul
The list of unregistered social media apps is long and noticeably includes Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, Quora, Threads, etc. What’s also interesting here is the inclusion of Hamro Patro as a social media platform. It’s been reported that Hamro Patro surfaced on the list as a social media platform and was banned due to an error. However, there’s no substantial information regarding it.
So far, we have also heard news of X (Twitter) and WeChat contacting the government for registration. We have also heard about Meta’s approach.
There’s no official confirmation regarding this news. But the faster the better for users who are waiting for apps to get registered to use them uninterrupted.
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Social Media Registration means?
Currently, the registration of social media means their registration at the Ministry of Communication, Information, and Technology (MoCIT).
Some of the unregistered apps, such as YouTube and Meta, are already paying their taxes. But the government demands that they be registered at the communication ministry.
As the ban takes stronger effect, more users are resorting to VPN and DNS apps to gain access. However, we suggest that everyone takes cautions as their data could come at risk.
We also wish that both social media companies and the government of Nepal come to a dialogue and devise a resolution that’s a win for all parties including the users.
