Social media registration gap hinders investigation: IGP Karki

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 24: Inspector General of Nepal Police Dan Bahadur Karki has said that cyberbullying and other forms of cybercrime are increasing rapidly in the country.

Speaking at a meeting of the Federalism Strengthening and National Concerns Committee on Thursday, IG Karki said that cybercrime cases have been rising alongside the growing use of the internet and mobile phones.

According to Karki, women and young people are particularly more affected by cybercrime incidents. Based on current data, more than 4,000 complaints related to hate speech spread through fake social media accounts have been registered with the police.

Similarly, over 3,000 cases of bullying and harassment have been reported. He further said that more than 10,000 complaints related to financial crimes have been filed with the police. Activities such as account hacking, online fraud, threats, and sexual violence are becoming increasingly widespread, he said.

He stated, “There has been a rise in cyberbullying cases in Nepal. According to current data, financial crimes are the most prevalent, reaching around 10,000 cases. Fake accounts exceed 4,000. More than 3,000 cases of bullying and harassment have been reported. There are also incidents of account hacking, money theft, threats, and similar activities. Due to the increasing use of the internet, women and young people are found to be more affected.”

IGP Karki also said that since social media platforms are operated by foreign companies, it is very challenging to obtain necessary details for cybercrime investigations. He added that Nepal Police currently lacks direct networks and adequate legal mechanisms with social media platforms operating in Nepal.

He said police often have to rely on personal contacts to obtain details from platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. According to him, it takes around 20–25 days for user details to be received during investigations. In cases of minor harassment or bullying, usernames can be obtained within a week, while in serious cases such as missing children or suicide-related incidents, information may be received within 24 hours, he added.

He said that since platforms are not registered in Nepal, investigations are delayed, and such delays can result in victims being denied timely justice.

So far, TikTok, Viber, Nimbuzz, WeChat, and Koo have been officially registered in Nepal. However, major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, owned by Meta, are not registered in the country. Despite being widely used, the lack of registration has made access to user data and removal of objectionable content complicated, he said.

He added that even when the police request information from Meta, it takes about a week to receive a response. He also said that platforms such as WhatsApp, Discord, X (formerly Twitter), Snapchat, IMO, WeChat, Reddit, YouTube, Gmail, and others do not respond to requests for user data or content takedown.

Karki said, “Because these platforms are not registered in Nepal, we do not receive operational data, and the process of removing controversial content is also complicated. We have to send written requests to Meta, and it takes about a week for a response. We do not receive user details or takedown responses from platforms such as WhatsApp, Discord, X, Snapchat, IMO, WeChat, Reddit, YouTube, Gmail, and others.”

He also called for clear legal provisions to control cybercrime, mandatory registration of digital platforms in Nepal, and stricter laws to take action against those involved in cyber offences. He stated that existing laws alone are not sufficient to control cybercrime.