Although the social media app TikTok was initially widely loved worldwide, it came under increasing criticism from several countries. This came to a head when countries like India, along with a few Chinese counterparts, officially banned the app in 2020. However, the damage has not stopped as it is now confirmed that Nepal has banned TikTok for reasons we will discuss below.
On November 13, Nepal officially decided on a ban TikTok during a cabinet meeting with various government officials. Initially reported by the NOWthe news comes from a report stating that TikTok has an influence on “social harmony‘ with its refusal to curb hateful content. This is in connection with a recent rule the country introduced that requires social media companies to open a liaison office in Nepal.
Nepal’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, spoke to various media associations about the situation. Speak with BBC Nepali, Sharma said that “the platform spread malicious content.”
According to local media reports, more than 1,600 TikTok-related cybercrime cases have been registered in the country. The minister said:The ban would take effect immediately and telecom authorities have been instructed to implement the decision.” Nepal Telecom Authority chief Purushottam Khanal confirmed this Reuters That “Some are already closed, others will close later today“.
TikTok’s previous response to the ban situation (which has been a trend around the world) was that these bans are “misguided” and based on “misconceptions.” Moreover, a senior Nepali Congress leader known as Gagan Thapa has criticized the government’s decision. He stated that this is an attempt to curb freedom of expression.
Despite this, the research on TikTok never seems to end. The app has been banned in several places: Belgium, Canada, Taiwan and certain US states have completely banned the use of the China-based social media app on government devices. Pakistan has banned TikTok several times but only lifted it after receiving assurances that it would monitor the amount of “immoral/indecent content” on the platform.
No matter what happens, it is still the original platform that popularized short video content. In fact, Instagram Reels And YouTube shorts It is known that they both came out later. These newer platforms essentially capitalized on the rising popularity of TikTok-style short video content.
Do you think TikTok poses security risks and should not be used? Let us know your thoughts on Nepal banning TikTok in the comments below!
