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The Story: Nepal has now joined its neighbors India and Pakistan in banning TikTok.

Yesterday, Nepal’s government announced the decision against the social media platform, alleging it has affected the “social harmony” of the country by not censoring or removing hateful content from the app.

According to local media reports, more than 1,600 TikTok-related cyber crime cases have been registered over the last four years in Nepal.

Back in 2020, India had similar issues with the app citing concerns about national security and integrity. India banned TikTok along with many other Chinese-developed apps.

Not everyone in Nepal supports the government's decision, however, and some opposing leaders have said the call lacks “effectiveness, maturity and responsibility.”

One of those critics is Pradeep Gyawali, former foreign minister and a senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal. He explained that, “There are many unwanted materials in other social media also. What must be done is to regulate and not restrict them.”

While an app used by over a billion people worldwide isn’t likely to notice the loss of Nepal’s small viewership base, the New York Times’ Bhadra Sharma believes “it is another ominous sign for the Chinese-owned company of broader efforts by governments around the world to restrict its use.”

Tik Tok continues to receive substantial scrutiny from governments within the states here in the US, and outside of the country as political leaders investigate how the app influences and, in some cases, harms their citizens.

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