Kathmandu– Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Prithivi Subba Gurung, stated that the ordinance related to social networking sites has been introduced to take action against social networking platforms that undermine social harmony and religious tolerance.
He added that social networking is becoming chaotic, and the ordinance has been brought forward in response to public demand for regulating these platforms. Minister Gurung emphasized that writing and acting arbitrarily does not reflect democracy. To address this, a bill to regulate the operation of social media platforms has been introduced in Parliament.
While acknowledging some opposition to the bill, Minister Gurung noted that opposition is a natural part of democracy. He also highlighted that actions that destroy social harmony, spread hatred, and erode religious tolerance are acts of treachery, and there will be penalties for those who engage in such behaviors on social media.
If someone said that democracy is about being able to say whatever you want about the country, and that is unacceptable, Minister Gurung added. He assured the public that the government is committed to protecting the right to information while also ensuring that freedom of expression and speech are safeguarded. He believes that by ending chaos and introducing regulation, democracy can be strengthened.
He explained that the ordinance was introduced with the understanding that it could help ease the journey toward prosperity and strengthen the democratic system.
The Minister also informed that, due to the increasing number of cybercrimes in the country, the draft of the Act to regulate cybercrime is underway. Additionally, the draft ordinance to regulate IT and cybersecurity is in progress, and he committed to submitting it within the current parliamentary session.
Minister Gurung warned that any social networking site that is not registered with the government will be banned. He pointed out that TikTok is currently the only registered platform in operation and called for other social networking sites such as Meta (Facebook), Instagram, WhatsApp, and others to register with the government.