Nepal on Monday announced that it will ban China’s TikTok, citing the “misuse” of the well-known video app as the reason for the disruption of societal harmony and goodwill, and the growing need for its regulation.
Over the last four years, over 1,600 cases of cybercrime related to TikTok have been reported in Nepal, as per reports from local media.
Nepal’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, stated that the decision to outlaw TikTok was decided upon earlier on Monday during a cabinet meeting.
The chair of the Nepal Telecom Authority, Purushottam Khanal, stated that internet service providers had been requested to remove the software.
Leaders of Nepal’s opposition parties denounced the action, claiming it lacked “effectiveness, maturity and responsibility”.
In June 2020, India, Nepal’s neighbour, banned TikTok and numerous other apps created by Chinese developers, citing concerns about potential compromises to national security and integrity.
Pakistan, a different country in South Asia, has at least four times banned the app due to content deemed “immoral and indecent” by the government.
