Register social media or face ban within a month: Ministry

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 21: The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MoCIT) has issued a one-month deadline for social media platforms, including Meta (Facebook) and X (formerly Twitter), to register in Nepal.

Citing that only three companies have registered so far, the ministry has formally instructed all other platforms operating in Nepal to comply with the registration requirement within 30 days.

According to Clause 3 of the Social Media Operation Guidelines-2023, any individual, company, or organisation operating or intending to operate a social media platform in Nepal must register with the ministry, either directly or through an authorised representative.

Registered companies are required to establish a local contact point in Nepal, appoint an officer to handle resident complaints, and assign a compliance officer to oversee adherence to self-regulation policies.

As of now, only Viber, TikTok, and Saransh Media Lab Pvt. Ltd. have completed the registration process and are operating legally in the country, according to a notice issued by the Ministry on Thursday.

“All social media platforms operating in Nepal, except the ones already registered, are hereby notified to register with the ministry within 30 days as per the Social Media Operation Guidelines-2023. They must also establish a local contact point, designate an officer for handling complaints, and appoint a compliance monitoring officer,” the ministry’s official notice stated. Failure to comply within the given timeframe could result in a ban on the operation of non-registered social media platforms in Nepal, as per Clause 3, Sub-Clause 7 of the guidelines, the ministry warned.