The government of Nepal has decided to ban the popular social media app TikTok.
It has joined the list of countries that have decided to restrict the use of the video-sharing platform, owned by China’s ByteDance, claiming it negatively impacts the country’s familiar structures.
Nepal made the decision following a cabinet meeting earlier this week. The country had previously expressed concerns about the content shared on the social media platform.
It had asked TikTok to register and open a liaison office in Nepal, pay taxes and abide by the country’s laws and regulations. It was unclear whether the decision to ban TikTok was prompted by the company’s refusal to comply with these requests.
In a public statement, the government said the ban was carried out to protect Nepal’s population from harmful content.
“The government has decided to ban TikTok as it was necessary to regulate the use of the social media platform that was disrupting social harmony, goodwill and flow of indecent materials,” said Nepal’s foreign minister Narayan Prakash Saud.
Gagan Thapa, leader of the Nepali Congress party, which is part of the ruling coalition, said the decision would “stifle freedom of expression”.
“Regulation is necessary to discourage those who abuse social media, but shutting down social media in the name of regulation is completely wrong,” he said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
TikTok has, for years, been the focus of scrutiny regarding its connection to the Chinese government. The company has always denied having shared data with China.
The UK and New Zealand have already banned the app’s use on government devices, citing national security concerns, although it is still accessible to the general public.
In the past months, at least seven US states have introduced measures to block TikTok from official devices, including Maryland, South Dakota and Utah. The US Armed Forces, the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security have also imposed similar restrictions.
E+T has previously explained the main concerns regarding the privacy debate surrounding TikTok.
TikTok has been approached for comment.
