ISTANBUL

Nepal on Thursday moved to block major social media platforms after they failed to register with the government.

The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology issued the ban after giving the companies seven days from Aug. 28, which expired on Wednesday, to register with the government, according to the Kathmandu Post.

The platforms blocked include US company Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, along with WhatsApp, YouTube, US social media company X, Reddit, and LinkedIn.

The ministry said the blocks would be lifted once the companies registered with the authorities.

Meanwhile, TikTok was exempt from the block because it had registered with the ministry beforehand.

The decision comes in response to a Supreme Court directive requiring the government to register all online and social media platforms, local or foreign, before they can operate in Nepal, allowing authorities to monitor content.

Meanwhile, Nepal's main opposition party has criticized the decision.

According to Hit Raj Pandey, chief whip of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), while regulation is "necessary," if social media is shut down, "the country will become chaotic."

Other critics warned that the block could disrupt communication, commerce, and public life.