Advertisement

Nepal lifts TikTok ban imposed for disrupting social harmony

  • Restrictions on the Chinese-owned app were lifted after the new PM issued a directive for all social networking sites to be treated equally

Reading Time:1 minute
Why you can trust SCMP
People protest against the ban on TikTok in Kathmandu, Nepal, in November. Photo: Reuters

Nepal’s government decided on Thursday to lift the ban it imposed on the video-sharing app TikTok last November for disrupting “social harmony”.

Advertisement

The decision to lift restrictions was made by the government during a regular cabinet meeting Thursday, the state-run National News Agency quoted Information Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung as saying.

The agency also said that it was under the initiative of the Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, who issued a directive saying that all social networking sites should be treated equally.

Oli became the prime minister last month after the collapse of the previous coalition government.

The previous government had imposed the ban on TikTok in November last year, saying it was necessary to regulate the use of the social media platform because it was disrupting social harmony, goodwill and diffusing indecent materials.

03:02

Nepal bans TikTok for ‘disturbing social harmony’, sparking dismay from thousands of users

Nepal bans TikTok for ‘disturbing social harmony’, sparking dismay from thousands of users

The government has also asked social media platforms companies to register in Nepal, open a liaison office, pay taxes and abide by the country’s laws and regulations.

Advertisement