Nepal Lifts TikTok Ban Imposed Over Disrupted Social Harmony

Nepal has decided to lift its ban on TikTok, just nine months after the social media app was restricted for allegedly disrupting social harmony. The decision came following a cabinet meeting, as reported by the state-run National News Agency.

“A decision to remove the ban on TikTok has been made,” announced Prithvi Subba Gurung, Minister for Communications and Information Technology, during a press briefing.

This development follows a request made by TikTok’s South Asia division for the ban to be reconsidered, with assurances that the platform would comply with local regulations, according to ministry spokesperson Gajendra Kumar Thakur.

However, TikTok needs to fulfill specific conditions before it can resume operations. The platform has been given three months to meet these requirements.

“TikTok must now help promote Nepal’s tourism, invest in digital literacy efforts, support the upliftment of Nepal’s public education system, and be mindful of the language used on its platform,” stated Gurung.

“After TikTok assured the government that it would meet these conditions, we decided in principle to allow TikTok to resume operations in Nepal,” he added.

A TikTok spokesperson expressed excitement over the decision, saying, “We’re excited to be able to continue enabling Nepali voices and creativity.”

The app was originally banned in November 2023 by the government led by ex-Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The ban was justified on the grounds that TikTok “disturbs social harmony and disrupts family structures and social relations,” according to former communications minister Rekha Sharma. There was, however, no clear explanation of what specifically triggered the ban.

The decision to ban TikTok led to several protests in Kathmandu, with demonstrators arguing that the ban cut off a source of income for many influencers and restricted an avenue for free speech.

Anjana Aryal, a 39-year-old Nepalese influencer with nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok, was severely impacted by the ban. “My life changed a lot because of TikTok. So many recognize me wherever I go,” she said.

Before the ban, Aryal made up to $3,000 in a single month from endorsement deals and selling her own brand of pickles. The ban not only halted her income but also left her uncertain about the future. “People were earning, running businesses, or just being entertained on TikTok. Everyone has been affected now and they don’t know what to do,” she added.

China’s ByteDance-owned TikTok has faced bans in several countries, including India and Afghanistan, and is restricted in the UK, Australia, and the European Union.

At the time of the ban, it was reported that over 1,600 TikTok-related cybercrime cases had been registered in Nepal over the previous four years, according to the Internet Service Providers’ Association of Nepal (ISPAN). TikTok had around 2.2 million users in the country then.

While the app has not reached the user numbers of Meta’s social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, it remains immensely popular among users aged 16 to 24.

Manish Adhikari, another influencer who focused on content related to cars and Nepalese startups, mentioned that he had moved to Instagram after the ban. “Brands started to call me … and I wondered if I was getting out of business, is my work going to stop?” Adhikari said, noting that he struggled to match the engagement and reach he previously enjoyed on TikTok.

Earlier this year, researchers tried to decode TikTok’s algorithm to better understand its appeal but found it challenging. The platform’s algorithm has often been described as a “black box,” both to the public and regulators, and possibly even to TikTok itself.

“The algorithm is such a black box to the public and regulators. And to some extent, it probably is to TikTok itself,” said Franziska Roesner, a computer scientist at the University of Washington.

Nepal’s decision to lift the ban is seen as a significant move, opening the doors for influencers and content creators to regain their audiences and livelihoods through the popular video-sharing app.

Source: AFP via Getty Images, ISPAN