The last few weeks have simmered political tensions in the country of Nepal, with protestors, mostly belonging to the Gen Z age group, flooding the streets and protesting against the government. On this backdrop, the Nepal government banned many social media platforms, in an alleged attempt to curb down fake news, threats, and the spread of misinformation. However, after violent protests across the Himalayan country took the lives of 19 innocent protestors and left several others injured, the government has lifted up the ban on social media. Here’s the entire story on the Nepal ban on social media news and what lies ahead.
Nepal Lifts Social Media Ban: Why It Was Banned, Countrywide Protests, And Political Tensions
Nepali Social Media Banned: What Was The Reason?
On the surface, the government banned major social media apps in Nepal, citing that these platforms did not register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. The social media giants had been asked to establish a point of contact and name a resident grievance handling officer and compliance officer, and were given a week’s deadline to do so.
The government also stated that despite giving a week’s deadline, these apps had not registered with the Ministry, ultimately leading to their being banned in the country.
What Social Media Was Banned In Nepal?
Social media apps that had not registered with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of Nepal, even after the one-week deadline, were banned across the country on September 4, 2025. Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli announced this ban on social media apps, and these include:
- X
- YouTube
- Snapchat
- Discord
- Threads
- Quora
- Tumblr
- Clubhouse
- Mastodon
…and a few other apps.
However, there were a few apps that followed government guidelines and registered with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. These apps did not get banned and were accessible to Nepali citizens. These include:
- TikTok
- Viber
- Popo Live
- Nimbuzz
- Witk
The common public protested this move, citing that the ban is an alleged attempt to silence dissenting voices, curb down businesses that thrived on these apps, and enforce the government’s authority over its citizens. Soon, the protests that erupted against the social media ban snowballed into anti-corruption movements against the government.
Gen Z Protest In Nepal: Fighting The Authoritarian Government’s Corruptive Practices
What began as protests against the social media ban in Nepal soon transformed into Gen Z taking it to the streets to take a stand against the government. School-going as well as university students from all over the country participated in nationwide protests against the institutionalized corruption in the Nepali government. Gen Z protestors strongly opposed the government’s authoritarian attitude, boldly claiming that even though previous generations have endured it, they refuse to do so.
This also has a connection to the social media ban – videos of children of the Nepali government authorities enjoying their lavish lives circulated widely on Nepali social media. This sparked outrage and nationwide discussions on how ‘nepo kids’ belonging to political and diplomatic backgrounds live a privileged life, whereas ordinary Nepali students and youngsters have to struggle for jobs, education, and career opportunities.
Corruptive laws, an inefficient job market, and several other failures on the government’s side have all led to dissatisfaction and dissent among the Nepali youth, which became major catalysts in the ‘anti-social media ban’ protests, taking a violent turn.
Soon, youngsters took to the streets with placards, posters, and dissenting voices. Some held placards with slogans reading “enough is enough”, “ban corruption and not social media”, and “end to corruption”.
A Violent Turn To The Gen Z Protest In Nepal
Some agitated protestors hurled stones at the residence of Prime Minister Oli, while many protested aggressively on the streets and in front of government buildings. The police then imposed a curfew around the parliament building after protestors, in thousands, attempted to break into the building.
On Monday, September 8, 2025, the Kathmandu Police attempted to curb down protestors. They did so by firing water cannons, using batons, and firing rubber bullets to disperse protestors. In some other parts of the country, the police did not refrain from using tear gas to drive away protestors.
The government, in a violent turn of events, passed on a shoot-at-sight order at protestors. 19 people since lost their lives while 300 others were injured in just a day in the Gen Z protest in Kathmandu.
Prime Minister Oli stated that he was “deeply saddened” by the casualties and blamed the ‘ambiguity’ between the two generations for the ongoing political turmoil. The government has lifted the ban on social media apps and has also set up a panel to investigate the protests. He also added that financial aid would be provided to those who lost their lives, and free medical aid would be given to those injured.
Summing Up
While the Nepal ban on social media news has stirred up a global conversation on human rights, discourse on free media, and anti-authoritarian governments, the ban and subsequent protests have caused damage to life and property in the country. How the Nepal government tackles this situation and calms down political tension in Nepal will be worth noting.
