Nepal has blocked Facebook, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, and several other global platforms after they failed to register with authorities under new government rules, AFP reported. The ban, which came into effect Thursday midnight, affects 26 platforms in total.
Nepal has blocked 26 major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and Reddit, while allowing only TikTok, Viber, WeTalk, Nimbuzz, and Poppo Live to operate.
The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of Nepal had given companies seven days from August 28, 2025 to register with the state, name a local contact, and appoint a grievance handler. Only TikTok, Viber, WeTalk, Nimbuzz, and Poppo Live completed the process, while Telegram and Global Diary are awaiting approval.
Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung defended the move, stating that platforms had ignored repeated requests to comply. “We gave them enough time to register. But they ignored the request, and we had to shut their operations in Nepal,” AFP reported.
The decision follows a Supreme Court order directing the government to ensure all social networks operating in the country are officially listed, so harmful content can be monitored. Officials say platforms will be restored once they complete the registration process.
The ban on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and other major platforms in Nepal is disrupting not just communication, but also livelihoods and journalism.
Sanjib Chaudhary, a journalist and Global Voices contributor based in Nepal, told Digital Rights Monitor that the impact is immediate for families with relatives abroad. “A lot of Nepalis are working in Gulf countries, and their main means of communication with relatives back in Nepal was through Facebook Messenger. Now it’s gone,” he said. “Women who were not proficient on other social channels used to connect through Messenger. That option no longer exists.”
For journalists like him, the shutdown has cut off crucial tools. “Social channels were key to finding people’s perceptions while writing posts for GV. I reached out to contacts via WhatsApp for their viewpoints, but now it will be shut down. There’s Viber, but not everyone is there. People are logging into Viber just to stay connected,” he explained.
Chaudhary added that X (formerly Twitter) was vital for gauging public opinion, while Facebook and Instagram were lifelines for young entrepreneurs running small businesses. “I was part of many groups, including the GV South Asia group, where we shared story ideas and updates. I’m afraid it will be gone.”
The disruption has also seeped into personal lives. Bikram Rana, a promoter of the Rana Tharu language in Nepal, told DRM that the ban has strained his family’s communication. “I live in Kathmandu with my children. My wife lives in my village, taking care of my father. The immediate impact I see is that my children and wife faced problems in talking to each other through Messenger video calls. People working abroad and their families must have encountered similar difficulties.”
Rights groups and opposition leaders, however, condemned the ban. The shutdown is expected to disrupt communication, commerce, and daily life in a country where an estimated 90 percent of the 30 million population uses the internet. Facebook alone has the largest user base among Nepalese.
Nepal has previously restricted platforms, including a nine-month ban on TikTok that was lifted in 2024 after the company agreed to comply with regulations. In July this year, the government also blocked Telegram over rising fraud and money laundering.
