On the basis of directives, the Nepal government has asked all social media platforms to be enlisted in the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. A small number of companies have applied for enlisting; thus, major platforms remained off the list.
The government had imposed a ban on Facebook and other major social media platforms that failed to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology within the given deadline (Baral, 2025). Telecom operators (Nepal Telecom and Ncell) and ISPs were instructed to restrict the browsing of platforms not listed in Nepal, including Meta (Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp), YouTube, and X.
Telcos and ISPs have faced many challenges to restrict the platforms and corresponding apps. Lacking a complete list of the domains of each social platform and app, a "search and restrict" approach has been used. The Content Delivery Network (CDN) servers deployed locally in ISP networks are peered with the higher-tier CDN using leased circuits.
Some of the ISPs lack expertise and tools to handle the task. Following the ban, the internet traffic pattern has changed, and the volume in the IP transit route increased, causing deterioration in the quality of other services like gaming and applications/portals hosted outside of the country. Some users have tried to use Virtual Private Network (VPN) servers, risking their personal data security and privacy.
Moreover, the use of VPN increased the IP transit traffic significantly. However, the service providers lack the means to segregate and quantify the volume of traffic due to the use of VPN.
The government's decision to ban unlisted social network platforms raised anger among people of different sectors, including the youth. It worked like a catalyst for the long-debated issues of bad governance, nepotism, corruption, inequality, injustice, impunity, and unemployment, thus uncovering the rage on the surface.
The government had been defending the decision, stating the national security interest, including the safety and privacy of citizens. On the other hand, people considered the decision a means to curb digital freedom to cover the malpractice of persons in government.
A crisis of trust between the government and its citizens causes a loss of lives of promising youths and deprives the nation of huge damage to national monuments. Skeptics highlight the possibility of infiltration by some powers; the young students might not have been involved in destructions.
The path forward:
The government can adopt the following methodology to enhance regulations:
Broad public consultation when drafting digital laws.
Independent oversight mechanisms to ensure accountability.
Technical capacity building for regulators and ISPs.
International cooperation to manage cross-border digital threats.
Striking the right balance between safeguarding national security and protecting digital freedoms is no easy task, yet it is essential for the future of democracy in the digital age.
Shalik Ram Subedi is manager, Nepal Telecom.