A letter has been sent to Nepal’s Communications Minister Sharma by Google, Facebook, and X affiliates. The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) has reached out to the Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, to request a meeting regarding the recent social media ban in Nepal. This organization, associated with various technology companies, has asked for a discussion on the regulations for social media in Nepal and the imposed ban.
In their letter addressed to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Secretary of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology Krishna Bahadur Raut, and Chairman of Nepal Telecommunication Authority Purushottam Khanal, AIC highlighted three main issues. These include the recently issued Social Media Regulation Guideline 2080, the ban on TikTok, and the need for discussions with stakeholders.
AIC has expressed concerns that the Nepalese government has issued guidelines without consulting and coordinating with social media platforms, which could create challenges for these companies. Additionally, they believe that the government’s requirement for social media to remove content within 24 hours is unjustified, along with their readiness to take action against TikTok and other social media platforms.
AIC has also stated that the sudden ban on social media by the government could negatively impact investor confidence and Nepal’s digital objectives. They argue that the government should embrace such advanced technologies to achieve the country’s ambitious digitization plans. AIC has proposed a meeting with the Ministry to directly or virtually address these various concerns.
AIC is an organization in the Asia Pacific region representing companies in the internet and technology sectors. Members of this organization include well-known companies such as Meta, Amazon, Apple, Google, X Corp, LinkedIn, Rakuten, Yahoo, Spotify, and Booking.com.
