Facebook, Instagram goes dark in Nepal as government enforcement comes into effect

KATHMANDU(Nepal): Nepal is experiencing outrage on Facebook and Instagram while attempting to log in from a browser, as the government’s enforcement of a ban on unregistered social media comes into effect.

Many of the social media users have been complaining about an outage in the service, with the prompt reading “hmm… something went wrong”, “This site can’t be reached”, “Safari can’t connect to the server” whenever users attempt to log in using a web browser.

“I tried logging in to Facebook via Safari and Google Chrome, but it’s not working anymore. For the time being, the app on mobile is working, but I am confident that it will also go dark; it’s just a matter of time,” Monika Malla, a University graduate, said.

Social media users have been scrambling through various other platforms to be updated about the outage. As of 10:45 PM (NPT) WhatsApp, Twitter and YouTube has remained operational.

The Government of Nepal on Thursday decided to block 26 social media platforms for operating without registration.

A meeting led by Communication and Information Technology Minister Prithivi Subba Gurung, along with ministry officials, representatives from the Nepal Telecommunication Authority, telecom operators and internet service providers, made the decision.

According to ministry officials, all unregistered platforms will be restricted with immediate effect. The government had set a seven-day deadline for mandatory registration, which expired on Wednesday past midnight.

However, major social media platforms such as Meta (Facebook, Alphabet, X, Reddit, and LinkedIn) have not yet contacted the Ministry regarding the process. Officials had earlier warned that platforms failing to comply would face a gradual suspension of their services in Nepal.

Currently, platforms such as Viber, TikTok, Wetalk and Nimbuzz are registered, while Telegram and Global Diary are in the process. Widely used platforms like Facebook, Twitter (X), and WhatsApp have yet to initiate registration.

This move follows a Supreme Court order and a recent ministerial meeting led by Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung.

“How do Nepalis living abroad talk to their family and home starting today?” a social media user questioned in X following the enforcement.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology clarified that the restriction will apply nationwide and that any unregistered platforms found operating in Nepal will also face the same ban. The government has emphasised that platforms may resume operation once they complete registration, ensuring compliance with national regulations.

All other major social media and communication platforms, including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Reddit, Discord, Pinterest, Signal, Threads, WeChat, Quora, Tumblr, Clubhouse, Rumble, Mi Video, Mi Vike, Line, Imo, Jalo, Sol, and Hamro Patro, will be blocked until they complete the registration process.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court issued a mandamus order nearly five years after writ petitions were filed seeking restrictions on advertisements and content broadcast through unlicensed social media platforms, OTT apps, and internet browsers.

A joint bench of Justices Tek Prasad Dhungana and Shanti Singh Thapa on Wednesday heard three related writ petitions together and ruled in favor of the petitioners.

In December 2020, advocates B.P. Gautam and Anita Bajgain had filed writs demanding a ban on unrestricted broadcasts, including foreign advertisements, through social media platforms.

Similarly, Manoj Gurung, General Secretary of the Nepal Cable Television Federation, had filed a writ of the same nature.

The court consolidated the cases before issuing the mandamus, effectively directing that unlicensed platforms must stop broadcasting advertisements and content without legal permission.

Last Thursday, the government issued a notice requiring all social media platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google, and Gmail–that had not yet registered in Nepal to complete the registration process.

The seven-day ultimatum ended on Wednesday, but no platform operators have submitted applications to register in the country. The government has repeatedly issued notices asking social media platforms operating in Nepal, whether from within the country or abroad, to register.

Government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung, addressing the National Assembly on August 19, said that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, was repeatedly urged to register in Nepal, but it responded that it was not ready to comply with Nepal’s laws and constitution.

According to the ministry’s notice, operational platforms are required to register with the ministry, designate contact points in Nepal, appoint officials to receive local complaints, and assign compliance monitoring officers. (ANI)