Nepal is demanding that global social media companies register under a new law that says they must submit to local laws, name representatives in the country, assist with investigations, and promptly remove harmful content. So far, only TikTok, Viber, and WeChat have obeyed. None of the major platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—have done this, despite repeated government requests.
As an April 20 deadline looms, Meta has dispatched representatives to Kathmandu to engage officials in talks. The government has said that platforms that refuse to register may be banned. A new bill in parliament seeks to put these rules on a legally binding basis. Currently, Nepal, too, is levying a digital tax of 2% on technology giants including Meta, Google and Apple. Industry groups have said the rules are overly strict and requested formal negotiations, but the government remains intent on compliance.