The government of Nepal lifted the ban on social media five days after the decision to restrict their access in the country. The decision was made on September 8 at night after heavy criticism and widespread protests by Gen Z that resulted in the tragic death of 19 people who protested against corruption.
The communication minister, Prithvi Subba Gurung, said that the government reversed the ban on 26 social networking platforms after a cabinet meeting on Monday, September 9, 2025, at the residence of the PM KP Sharma Oli. The reversal came five days after the government made the unpopular decision on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
The minister said, “The government has no regrets over its decision to ban social media. But we lifted the ban because it was taken as a pretext to start protests.”
Earlier, ISPs had warned of internet shutdown due to traffic pressure caused by the social media ban as VPN and DNS use surged to its peak. Some ISPs even seemed to have opened up access to social media for a brief time on the very day.
Also: Effects of social media ban in Nepal on bandwidth, businesses, more
Social Media ban lifted with no registration
It’s noticeable that the ban on social media has been lifted without registration. Meta, parent company of Facebook, Instagram, etc. X and other platforms didn’t register at the Ministry of Communication, Information, and Technology (MoCIT). Companies like Meta and X are already registered for the tax process. They were asked to be listed at the MoCIT. But as it seems now, the registration chapter might have closed at least for the foreseeable future.
Minister Gurung also said that X declined to register in Nepal due to existing corruption and the lack of transparency. Because of this, there are unconfirmed reports that of all, service providers have been directed to continue their ban on X.
PM reportedly said, “We have been requesting X to register in Nepal for one and a half years. It’s about our national pride. Should they be allowed to operate to insult the nation?”
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But as Gen Z protests escalated and pressure mounted, the government made the decision. Gen Z Nepal has said that its peaceful demonstrations will continue.
