The government on Friday moved a proposal at the National Assembly to withdraw the controversial Social Media Bill.

The Sushila Karki-led government had, on Tuesday, decided to withdraw the bill. Ignoring widespread criticism, the previous KP Sharma Oli administration had introduced the bill in Parliament in February last year. The bill is under consideration of the Legislation Management Committee.

Assembly chair Narayan Prasad Dahal directed the committee to submit a report as per the government’s proposal to the chamber, which will be tabled for endorsement.

“The bill is formally withdrawn after the National Assembly’s approval,” Eakram Giri, spokesperson for the Parliament Secretariat, told the Post. “It is most likely [to happen] in the next meeting.”

The bill envisions that social media platforms will have to post up to Rs10 million in fines if they don’t comply with the government conditions, while a user disseminating misleading information can be subject to up to five years in jail and a fine up to Rs1.5 million.

As per the bill, companies, firms or organisations seeking to operate social media platforms need to get government approval. Different types of applications (apps), websites, and blogs, among others, created in cyberspace that allow interaction through electronic means have been defined as social media platforms.

The bill listed out dozens of offences that could make users liable to hefty fines and imprisonment.

Those who transmit false or misleading information through a fake identity would face the most severe penalty, which can lead to five years of imprisonment and a fine up to Rs1.5 million. The provisions for hefty fines and imprisonment proved controversial, prompting widespread criticism.

The bill states that any individual who posts or shares content on social media that “disturbs the sovereignty, territorial integrity, national unity and security of Nepal” will be imprisoned for up to five years, fined up to Rs500,000, or both.

If further said that those who create fake pages and groups and from them post or share content on social media, share content of others, comment or call will be imprisoned for three months or fined up to Rs50,000 or both.

Using social media to harass, torment, threaten, embarrass, insult, dehumanise or spread rumours and imitate someone’s voice will make the offender liable to two years in prison or a fine up to Rs300,000. The bill says anyone who ‘hacks’ someone’s social media account will be imprisoned for up to three years and fined up to Rs1.5 million.

The bill also proposes that those who make ‘deepfake’ videos using artificial intelligence and spread them on social media can be jailed for up to 2 years or fined up to Rs300,000.