Nepalese authorities ban TikTok for destroying “social harmony” – Kommersant

The Nepalese government has decided to ban the social network TikTok in the country, reports Reuters. This was announced by IT Minister Rekha Sharma after a cabinet meeting where the issue was discussed. According to her, the technical side of closing TikTok in the country is now being studied, and a corresponding order has been sent to Internet service providers.

TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is the sixth most popular social network in Nepal. But authorities note that TikTok is being used to spread content that undermines “social harmony and destroys family ties and community relationships.” Additionally, TikTok-related cybercrime has been reported to be on the rise, with more than 1,600 such cyberattacks occurring in Nepal over the past four years.

Meanwhile, not all representatives of Nepal’s leadership supported the government’s decision. Thus, the leader of the Nepali Congress party, which is part of the ruling coalition, expressed the opinion that the TikTok ban constitutes “suppression of freedom of opinion.” “Regulation is necessary to discourage those who use social media maliciously. But closing a social network in the name of regulation is completely wrong,” said Gagan Thapa.

TikTok did not comment on the ban on the social network to Reuters. Nepal is not the first country where this social network is banned or limited. Among them is Nepal’s neighbor – Indiawhere TikTok was banned in June 2020 on the grounds that it could undermine national security and integrity.

Alena Miklashevskaya