KATHMANDU: Bishnu Rimal, chief political advisor to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, has hinted that all unregistered social media platforms in Nepal could be shut down following the expiry of the government’s ultimatum.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Rimal suggested that platforms failing to register with the authorities will likely be deactivated. “It seems that all unregistered social media and online platforms will soon be inactive. These networks, which have become addictions in our daily lives, should be listed as soon as possible so that we can continue using them without disruption,” he wrote.
He recalled that the Supreme Court had already ordered a halt to unregistered social media platforms until companies appoint a point of contact in Nepal, adopt self-regulation mechanisms, and designate a grievance-hearing officer.
Calling social media and online platforms an “addiction” for nearly everyone, Rimal posed a rhetorical question: “From the Prime Minister to ordinary citizens, we share updates and emotions daily through dozens of statuses. What would happen if these platforms were suddenly shut down?”
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