On November 14, 2023, according to the AP news agency, the government of Nepal has decided to ban the popular social media app TikTok, citing concerns that TikTok is disrupting "social harmony" in the country.
The decision to ban TikTok in Nepal was announced after a Cabinet meeting. Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud stated that the app would be banned immediately.
"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 the flow of indecent materials," said Saud.
The Nepalese Foreign Minister also added that to hold social media platforms accountable, the government has requested these companies to register and open a liaison office in Nepal, pay taxes, and abide by the country's laws and regulations.
It is unclear what triggered the ban or whether TikTok refused to comply with Nepal's requests. TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, has faced scrutiny in various countries over concerns that Beijing could use the app for data harvesting or advancing its interests. Countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand have banned TikTok on government phones, despite TikTok repeatedly denying sharing data with the Chinese government and asserting they wouldn't do so if asked.
Nepal had previously banned all pornographic sites in 2018.
Countries have banned Tiktok
India
In 2020, India issued a ban on TikTok and a slew of other Chinese apps, including the popular messaging app WeChat, due to concerns about privacy and security with Chinese apps.
The ban came shortly after a military clash between the Indian and Chinese armies at their border. By January 2021, the Indian government declared a permanent ban on TikTok and other Chinese apps.
Pakistan
India's neighbor, Pakistan, also imposed a temporary ban on TikTok at least four times since October 2020, citing concerns about the app spreading morally objectionable content.
Afghanistan
The Taliban government in Afghanistan banned TikTok in 2022, citing the need to protect young people from "straying off the right path" and TikTok content being incompatible with the country's Islamic laws.
UK
On March 16, the UK government immediately banned the use of TikTok on government-issued devices, citing potential risks surrounding the collection and use of sensitive government data by mobile apps.
European Organizations
The European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council of Europe, the top three institutions of the European Union, have all imposed bans on TikTok for their employees, citing concerns about cybersecurity.
United States
Since the era of former President Donald Trump, the United States has threatened to "ban" TikTok multiple times, but there has been no official ban to date. Instead, the ban on TikTok applies only to some US government agencies.
In early March 2023, the Biden administration directed government agencies to remove TikTok from federal devices due to concerns about data security. The ban applies only to government devices, although some US lawmakers support a complete ban on TikTok in the country.
Canada
Canada, the neighbor of the US, has also announced a ban on government devices installing and using TikTok, citing concerns about "the app's potential unacceptable risks to privacy and security."
Employees' devices in the Canadian government will be locked to prevent future TikTok installations.
The decision to ban TikTok in Nepal was announced after a Cabinet meeting. Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud stated that the app would be banned immediately.
The Nepalese Foreign Minister also added that to hold social media platforms accountable, the government has requested these companies to register and open a liaison office in Nepal, pay taxes, and abide by the country's laws and regulations.
It is unclear what triggered the ban or whether TikTok refused to comply with Nepal's requests. TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, has faced scrutiny in various countries over concerns that Beijing could use the app for data harvesting or advancing its interests. Countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand have banned TikTok on government phones, despite TikTok repeatedly denying sharing data with the Chinese government and asserting they wouldn't do so if asked.
Nepal had previously banned all pornographic sites in 2018.
Countries have banned Tiktok
India
In 2020, India issued a ban on TikTok and a slew of other Chinese apps, including the popular messaging app WeChat, due to concerns about privacy and security with Chinese apps.
The ban came shortly after a military clash between the Indian and Chinese armies at their border. By January 2021, the Indian government declared a permanent ban on TikTok and other Chinese apps.
Pakistan
India's neighbor, Pakistan, also imposed a temporary ban on TikTok at least four times since October 2020, citing concerns about the app spreading morally objectionable content.
Afghanistan
The Taliban government in Afghanistan banned TikTok in 2022, citing the need to protect young people from "straying off the right path" and TikTok content being incompatible with the country's Islamic laws.
UK
On March 16, the UK government immediately banned the use of TikTok on government-issued devices, citing potential risks surrounding the collection and use of sensitive government data by mobile apps.
European Organizations
The European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council of Europe, the top three institutions of the European Union, have all imposed bans on TikTok for their employees, citing concerns about cybersecurity.
United States
Since the era of former President Donald Trump, the United States has threatened to "ban" TikTok multiple times, but there has been no official ban to date. Instead, the ban on TikTok applies only to some US government agencies.
In early March 2023, the Biden administration directed government agencies to remove TikTok from federal devices due to concerns about data security. The ban applies only to government devices, although some US lawmakers support a complete ban on TikTok in the country.
Canada
Canada, the neighbor of the US, has also announced a ban on government devices installing and using TikTok, citing concerns about "the app's potential unacceptable risks to privacy and security."
Employees' devices in the Canadian government will be locked to prevent future TikTok installations.