The Nepal government has decided to impose a ban on TikTok (the Chinese video-sharing app) on Monday due to concerns about rising hate speech and security threats.
According to reports, the Nepal government has stated that a large section of society criticised TikTok for encouraging a tendency of hate speech. This decision to ban TikTok comes shortly after the Nepal government made it mandatory for social media platforms such as Facebook, X (previously known as Twitter), YouTube, TikTok, and others to establish offices within the country.
The decision was taken considering the increasing number of complaints regarding the absence of company representatives in Nepal. This absence posed challenges for authorities in addressing user concerns and removing objectionable content from these platforms. All social media platforms functioning within the country are required to establish an office or appoint a representative in Nepal within three months of the directives taking effect.
At the same time, these companies must also make sure to register their social media platforms with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology. If they don't do this, the ministry has the authority to close down platforms that are not properly registered within the Nepalese jurisdiction. The short-video app, which is owned by a big Chinese tech company called ByteDance, got banned in India on June 29, 2020, because of concerns related to national security.
TikTok became extremely popular in India shortly after it was launched in September 2016. India was one of TikTok's biggest markets outside of China, and in 2019, it was the most downloaded app in India on Android phones.
(With Input from Agencies)
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