Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has started the necessary consultations to open the ban imposed by the then Prachanda government on Tiktok. A source close to the Prime Minister has informed about this matter.
It is said that Prime Minister Oli is against of banning any social media. “The matter of misuse or misuse of social media depends on the user,” the source said, quoting the Prime Minister, “The act of disrupting social harmony is not done by the social media platform itself. It is up to users like us to decide what kind of content to put on it. Today If Tiktok is closed, it will put the video on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram tomorrow. Now, after Tiktok, shall we will gradually ban other social networks as well?”
According to sources, Prime Minister Oli has been in favor of lifting the ban on Tiktok from the beginning. It is said that he has started discussions and consultations about the necessary studies and legal and procedural aspects for this.
The then government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ decided to ban Tiktok in Nepal through the cabinet meeting on 27 Kartik, 2080 saying that it was having a negative impact on social harmony and social environment. After that, the regulator Nepal Telecommunication Authority gave instructions to internet and mobile service providers to implement the government’s decision.
The government has also been criticized for deciding to ban Tiktok without taking any legal basis to suit the interests of other countries. Various stakeholders criticized the government’s move, claiming that the Tiktok ban was against the right to freedom of expression and communication guaranteed by the constitution.
In this regard, 14 separate writs were also filed in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has scheduled a new hearing on Ashwin 10 to discuss these writs.
On the other hand, due to the Tiktok ban, Nepal has suffered a huge financial loss. Due to the displacement of cash servers and the increase in international bandwidth imports, Nepal has suffered a loss of two billion in nine months, while telecom and internet companies have lost about five billion in income.
Tiktok is also writing to various agencies of Nepal government to get the ban lifted. Just a few days ago, Tiktok, while sending a letter to the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, stated that it is committed to follow the policies and rules set by the Nepalese government.
