Nepal bans TikTok, citing harm to families and social harmony
TikTok, boasting approximately a billion users worldwide, was launched by Chinese company ByteDance in 2016. It is particularly known for enabling users to share brief video content.
2:33 PM EST, January 17, 2024
TikTok banned in Nepal
The Nepal government argues that TikTok is being used to circulate content threatening social harmony, family structures, and interpersonal relationships. Therefore, a decision has been made by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology to banish the app from the country.
In a statement to the media, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology said she has repeatedly reached out to the owners of TikTok to inform them about what she views as unsuitable content for children and teenagers present on the app. However, she did not provide any specific examples during her claim.
The Nepal government justifies the TikTok ban by stating it's more efficient than the lengthy process of eliminating inappropriate content from the platform. Reports from local media in Nepal over the last four years have documented more than 1600 cases of cybercrimes associated with TikTok.
