Govt to regulate social media, warns Minister Gurung
Minister Gurung emphasized that social media has become increasingly unruly, and its regulation is a demand from the general public.
KATHMANDU: Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, has stated that the government introduced the Social Media Bill to take action against platforms that promote social disharmony and religious intolerance.
Minister Gurung emphasized that social media has become increasingly unruly, and its regulation is a demand from the general public.
He clarified that unrestricted content and unchecked activities do not align with democracy, and the proposed bill in Parliament aims to bring social media operations under proper regulation.
He acknowledged opposition to the bill but asserted that dissent is natural in a democracy. He stressed that inciting hatred, disrupting social harmony, and promoting religious intolerance are acts of treason, warranting strict punishment under the law.
The minister rejected the notion that democracy allows for unrestricted criticism of the country. However, he assured that the government remains committed to safeguarding people’s right to information and freedom of expression. According to him, only by curbing anarchy and enforcing regulation can democracy be strengthened.
Highlighting the increasing cases of cybercrime in Nepal, Minister Gurung revealed that the government is drafting a new Cyber Crime Prevention Act. He affirmed that the draft for an IT, Information Technology, and Cyber Security Bill has been completed and will be presented in the ongoing parliamentary session.
Additionally, he warned that any social media platforms operating in Nepal without government registration would face a ban. He disclosed that currently, only TikTok is registered in Nepal, while platforms like Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) have been urged to register.
“At present, only TikTok is registered and has appointed a point of contact. We have invited Meta and other major digital platforms like Google and Microsoft to register. They must comply with Nepal’s laws to operate legally,” Gurung stated.
The minister assured that the government would facilitate operations for registered platforms while maintaining that social media must function within the legal framework, free from anarchy and disorder.
