Nepal Bans TikTok Over Concerns of Social Harmony

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The government of Nepal has prohibited the use of the social media app, TikTok, as it believes the platform negatively impacts the nation’s social harmony. The decision came from the Council of Ministers who believe that the content disseminated on TikTok is against the country’s interests, according to state television.

TikTok Accused of Disturbing Social Structures

Government spokesperson and Communications Minister Rekha Sharma stated that the app is continuously propagating material that disrupts the family structure and social relations in Nepal. The national telecommunications authority has already started the process of blocking the app.

Increased Social Activity on TikTok

The move to ban the Chinese-owned app was prompted by an increase in “social, religious and communal relations activities” on the platform, according to the government. This decision mirrors global concerns regarding the misinformation circulating on social media, particularly since the recent Israeli-Hamas conflict.

TikTok Under Scrutiny Worldwide

On October 19, the European Union asked TikTok and Meta, Facebook’s parent company, to detail their strategies to battle disinformation related to the conflict. The EU warned TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about the need for improved moderation of content. The EU officials, highlighting the extensive usage of TikTok by children, argued that digitally manipulated videos related to the massacre of hundreds of Israelis by Hamas terrorists violated EU law.

The city of New York had previously banned TikTok from city-owned devices in August, deeming it a security threat to its technical networks. U.S. Senator Josh Hawley also called for a TikTok ban due to what he labeled as increased anti-Israel, pro-Hamas content.

Opposition to the Ban

The decision to ban TikTok was not universally accepted in Nepal. Gagan Kumar Thapa, general minister of the opposition Nepali Congress Party, argued that while some regulation of social media is necessary, completely prohibiting apps in the name of maintaining social harmony is not the solution. Thapa suggested that the government’s actual motive is to suppress “freedom of expression and personal freedom”, and urged the government to reconsider their decision.