Nepal bans TikTok in an attempt to maintain “social harmony”
Himalayan country aims to curb the fights the app has spurred offline
Nepal, with a population approaching 30 million, recently prohibited TikTok. The move, initially disclosed by The New York Times, followed the introduction of a regulation in the Himalayan nation mandating social platforms to register with the local government. The refusal of TikTok to address hate content was deemed detrimental to “social harmony,” as reported by the Nepal government.
In particular, authorities in Nepal are concerned about TikTok content that is fueling religious animosity, inciting violence, and promoting sexual abuse. This content has resulted in offline conflicts, necessitating curfews and police intervention.
The rapid ascent of TikTok has encountered opposition as nations globally grow more cautious of China’s influence. The app faced a substantial setback in 2021 when India, amid escalating border tensions, banned it along with numerous other Chinese internet services, including the messaging giant WeChat. In May, Montana became the inaugural US state to prohibit TikTok, expressing concerns about Beijing’s potential access to user information.
Several nations, such as Canada and the UK, have implemented varying degrees of restrictions on TikTok, predominantly prohibiting government officials from engaging with the addictive, algorithm-driven short video application.
