Within 24 hours of the government’s decision to shut down unregistered social media platforms, only two companies officially contacted Nepal to inquire about the registration process.

“Hamro Patro, a Nepali social media app, submitted an application along with the required documents, and we have moved ahead with the registration process,” said Gajendra Thakur, spokesperson for the Ministry of Communication, Information and Technology.

“X has sent an official email from its regional office in Singapore expressing interest in registering in Nepal and has asked for the list of required documents,” Thakur added. Apart from these two, as of Friday afternoon, no other platform had contacted the ministry.

On Thursday, an official from Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, had reached out to Nepali officials to signal its willingness to comply with local laws. But there has again been no official correspondence from the company as of Friday afternoon.

The government on Thursday blocked all unregistered social media platforms after they failed to contact the ministry by the deadline.

Following the directive, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) published a list of 26 platforms to be shut down, including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, X, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Reddit, Discord, Pinterest, Signal, Threads, WeChat, Quora, Tumblr, Clubhouse, Mastodon, Rumble, VK, Line, IMO, Zalo, Soul and Hamro Patro.

On August 25, the Cabinet had decided that all social media operators must register within seven days under the Directive on Regulating the Use of Social Media, 2023. The deadline expired on Wednesday, prompting the government’s move.

The government has argued that the decision aligns with a Supreme Court directive to regulate companies operating without approval. Under the directive, platforms must register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, secure a licence within three months, renew it every three years, and appoint a local representative in Nepal.

Telecom and internet service providers began implementing the ban immediately after receiving instructions from the regulator.

In a public notice on Thursday, the state-owned Nepal Telecom informed customers that the listed platforms had been removed from its services. It said it would follow regulatory directions on any reactivation.

Private operator Ncell also confirmed that it had begun gradually blocking access. A company source said Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp had already stopped working for Ncell users from midnight.

“It is impossible to shut down all platforms at once, but we are working on it,” an Ncell official said.

Ncell warned that 50 percent of its internet traffic comes from social media platforms and that shutting them down would severely hurt business.

“Even if customers shift to TikTok, Viber, or voice and SMS packages, the revenue loss from the stoppage of other social media platforms cannot be compensated,” the company said.

Ncell noted that in the nine months after the government banned TikTok, telecom companies collectively lost around Rs5 billion.

The Internet Service Provider Association of Nepal (ISPAN) also issued a public notice saying it had started preparations to block access.

“We met with NTA officials and the two telecom service providers. A two-member technical team in a Viber group has been formed to extract Internet Protocol [IP] addresses and block them through the Domain Name System [DNS]. This is a continuous process and it may take a few days to shut down all listed platforms fully,” said ISPAN President Sudhir Parajuli.

As a result, social media access has become inconsistent, with services working in some areas but not others. A surge in downloads of Viber and slight increases in TikTok traffic even caused server slowdowns, according to insiders.

The sweeping shutdown has triggered widespread frustration, drawing criticism from human rights organisations as well as both ruling coalition partners and opposition parties.

On Friday, the National Human Rights Commission issued a statement expressing ‘serious concern’ over the government’s decision to block major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. It urged authorities to review the move and consider alternative ways of regulating social media without violating people’s fundamental rights.

On Thursday, the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and 22 other civil organisations working for freedom of expression and right to information expressed strong objections to the government’s decision to shut down social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram for non-registration.

CPN (Maoist Centre), the main opposition, has opposed the ban. So has the Rastriya Swatantra Party, calling it ‘a move against citizens’ rights and contrary to democracy and constitutional provisions.’ Many individual leaders of the ruling parties have done the same.

By Thursday evening, Nepali users had already begun experiencing disruptions on Instagram. Many switched to TikTok and Viber to stay connected, sharing their new handles widely.

Online sellers who relied heavily on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to reach customers also shifted their business activity to TikTok and Viber to stay afloat.

Nepal’s recent record with platform bans highlights a pattern of reversals. In November 2023, the government banned TikTok, citing threats to social harmony, only to lift the ban in August 2024 after its parent company ByteDance pledged compliance.

Similarly, in July 2024, Telegram was banned for its alleged use in fraud and money laundering, but it has since applied for registration with the ministry.

Social media dominates internet use in Nepal, accounting for nearly 80 percent of total traffic, largely from Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, X, and YouTube. According to the Management and Information System report, Nepal has 2.97 million internet subscribers.

Data Reportal’s January 2024 figures show 13.5 million active Facebook users in Nepal, 10.85 million Messenger users, 3.6 million Instagram users, 1.5 million LinkedIn users, and 466,100 X users.

The sudden ban has alarmed small business owners, many of whom depend on social media to market and sell products, especially ahead of Nepal’s biggest festive season.