The government of Nepal has decided to end the ban on the video-sharing app TikTok that was imposed last November due to concerns about disrupting social harmony. The decision to lift the restrictions was made during a regular cabinet meeting, as reported by the state-run National News Agency quoting Information Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung.
The initiative to lift the ban was reportedly led by Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, who emphasized the equal treatment of all social networking sites. Oli assumed office as prime minister following the collapse of the previous coalition government.
The previous government had enforced the TikTok ban in November, citing the need for regulation to maintain social harmony, goodwill, and prevent the spread of inappropriate content. The government has now requested social media companies, including TikTok, to register in Nepal, establish liaison offices, pay taxes, and comply with the country’s laws.
There were ongoing communications between the government and TikTok officials in the period leading up to the ban being lifted. TikTok, a platform owned by China’s ByteDance, has faced scrutiny in various countries over concerns about potential data harvesting and national security threats. Despite denial from TikTok regarding sharing data with the Chinese government, countries like the United States, Britain, and New Zealand have restricted the app from government devices.
In a separate move, Nepal had previously banned all pornographic websites back in 2018 as part of its efforts to regulate internet content within the country.