Kathmandu, Nepal September 5, 2025: Nepal has banned different 26 social media platforms from Thursday night amid the outrage from different sectors, particularly the users.
The government took the decision abiding by the order issued by the Supreme Court (SC), the apex court of the country.
On Wednesday, the SC had issued a mandamus order nearly five years after writ petitions were filed seeking restrictions on advertisements and content broadcast through unlicensed social media platforms, OTT apps and internet browsers.
A joint bench of Justices Tek Prasad Dhungana and Shanti Singh Thapa had issued the verdict responding to the demands put forth by writ petitioners.
In December 2020, advocates B.P. Gautam and Anita Bajgain filed writs demanding a ban on unrestricted broadcasts, including foreign advertisements, through social media platforms.
Similarly, Manoj Gurung, General Secretary of the Nepal Cable Television Federation, had also filed a writ of the same nature.
Following the SC’s verdict the Government of Nepal on Thursday decided to block 26 social media platforms for operating without registration. The government’s decision to ban social media is criticized by different sectors. The leaders of the ruling allies have also criticized the government for the decision.
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MoCIT), the responsible ministry to deal with the issues, has stated that the restriction will apply nationwide and that any unregistered platforms found operating in Nepal will also face the same ban.
The banned social media platforms include Facebook, Messenger, YouTube, WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Discord, Pinterest, Signal, Threads, WeChat, Quora, Tumblr, Clubhouse, Rumble, Mi Video, Mi Vike, Line, Imo, Jalo, Sol and Hamro Patro.
