Nepal Is Banning TikTok Over Hate Content, Officials Say
The small Himalayan nation’s cabinet
of ministers said the Chinese-owned app had neglected its repeated requests to curb
content that affected “social harmony.”
·
TikTok
has more than a billion users globally, so the ban by a Himalayan country with a
population of about 30 million is unlikely to significantly affect the app.
·
TikTok
was among dozens of Chinese apps India banned in 2020, following a military standoff
between the two countries in the Himalayas that remains unresolved.
·
Prevalence
of content that they said was stoking religious hate, violence and sexual abuse
·
TikTok’s
popularity has particularly jumped in Nepal since the pandemic, reaching about 2.2
million active users.
The
government in Nepal said on Monday that it was banning the popular social media
app TikTok, saying the platform’s refusal to curb hate
content was affecting “social harmony.”
TikTok has more than a billion users globally,
so the ban by a Himalayan country with a population of about 30 million is unlikely
to significantly affect the app, but it is another ominous sign for the Chinese-owned
company of broader efforts by governments around the world to restrict its use.
TikTok was among dozens of Chinese apps India banned
in 2020, following a military standoff between the two countries in the Himalayas
that remains unresolved. The app has also been subjected to increased scrutiny and
restrictions in the United States, Europe and Canada over concerns that sensitive
data for users is being shared with the Chinese government.
Nepal
finds itself pulled between its two giant neighbors, but
the concern has been less about Chinese misuse and more about domestic harmony.
Officials cited the prevalence of content that they said was stoking religious hate,
violence and sexual abuse and has led to clashes offline, forcing curfews and the
deployment of the police.
Although
the toxic content includes sexism and casteism, a particularly hot issue has been
virtual attacks on TikTok between Hindus, Muslims and
some Indigenous communities over the slaughter of cows, which are seen as sacred
among a large number of Hindus.
“Our
social harmony, family structure and family relations are being disturbed by social
media, by TikTok,” said Rekha Sharma, Nepal’s minister
for communications and information technology, after approval of the ban by the
cabinet of ministers.
“The
decision to ban TikTok will be effective immediately,”
Ms. Sharma said, but telecommunications companies must still put the ban into effect,
and it was not clear when users would no longer have access.
TikTok representatives did not respond to requests
for comment.
Nepali
officials said they resorted to the ban after TikTok declined
to address concerns about troubling content, even after the government reached out
on repeated occasions. It last raised the issue with TikTok
representatives nine days ago, to no avail, said Narendra K.C., an adviser to the
Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
He
said Narayan Kaji Shrestha, the country’s home minister,
told the cabinet on Monday that removing individual videos would be technologically
difficult for the Nepali authorities, leading him to propose a ban on the app itself.
TikTok’s popularity has particularly jumped in Nepal
since the pandemic, reaching about 2.2 million active users.
The
app is used by some users to vent anger at the government and politicians, and some
journalists and activists expressed worries that the government was trying to curb
free speech under the guise of protecting social harmony.
Taranath Dahal, the founder
of Freedom Forum, which advocates free speech in Nepal, said the government’s process
for banning the platform lacked transparency and raised concerns that the country
“is also heading toward building a controlled society.”
Mr.
Dahal said the government had introduced a new directive
for social media platforms only a few days ago, giving the companies three months
to comply. He said the decision to “abruptly” shut down one platform that was not
significantly different than the others went against Nepal’s “image of a liberal
democracy.”