Bhaag Viru Bhaag
Senior Test Player
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2013
- Runs
- 29,985
Nepal Gen Z protests, Nepal social media ban: This was the first time the youth of Nepal, the 'GenZ', mobilised on the streets like this. While the social media ban is the immediate trigger, unrest has been simmering in Nepal for a while now. We explain the full picture
Nepal Gen Z protest news: Fourteen people were killed in Nepal and many more injured after law enforcement agencies acted against protesters who had flooded the capital Kathmandu on Monday (September 8).
Thousands of young people, being termed ‘Gen Z protesters’, had gathered outside Parliament against the government’s ban on several social media platforms, with many in their school uniforms. Some entered the Parliament complex, after which the police baton-charged them. Large parts of Kathmandu are now under curfew.
This was the first time the youth of Nepal, the ‘GenZ’, mobilised on the streets like this. Organisers asked political parties and their youth wings to stay away.
While the social media ban is the immediate trigger, unrest has been simmering in Nepal for a while now.
The Nepal government last week banned 26 social media sites, including the Meta-owned Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, X, and YouTube, for not complying with an earlier order.
The Nepal government has sought to regulate big social media companies for more than a year, citing a rise in cyber crimes, fake news, and misleading content. Last month, armed with an order from Nepal’s top court, the government gave the companies a final deadline to register with the government, name a grievance handler, and agree to remove posts the government flagged. Those who did not register were banned.
Those who registered and escaped the ban are TikTok, Viber, WeTalk, Nimbuzz and Poppo Live, Reuters reported. TikTok had previously been banned in 2023 but allowed to resume after it reached an agreement with the government.
Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Sunday said his party was not against social media, “but what cannot be accepted is those doing business in Nepal, making money, and yet not complying with the law”, as quoted by PTI. The government has said the platforms can resume as soon as they comply with the orders.
