The country that banned TikTok to ‘preserve social harmony’

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Nepal joins the list of nations that have been imposing restrictions on the platform, which has around one billion monthly users worldwide. TikTok REUTERS Nepal banned China’s TikTok because the social network’s content was “harmful to social harmony.” The decision comes days after the country approved a new rule that requires social media companies to create offices in the country. TikTok, which has around a billion monthly users, has been banned by several countries, including India. Earlier this year, Montana became the first US state to ban it, while the UK Parliament blocked it from its network. Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma told BBC Nepali, the BBC’s service in Nepal, that the platform had published inappropriate content. She added that “the ban would come into force immediately. Telecom authorities have been instructed to respect it.” But Gagan Thapa, a senior leader of the Nepali Congress, which is part of the coalition government, questioned the government’s decision to impose a ban on TikTok. He said this was an attempt to restrict freedom of expression and that authorities should focus on regulating the platform. TikTok has come under scrutiny from authorities around the world due to concerns that user data could be passed on to the Chinese government. Its parent company, ByteDance, has already rejected the allegation. TikTok did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment on the Nepal government’s latest ban. Although TikTok lags behind Facebook and Instagram in terms of user numbers, its growth among young people far outstrips that of its competitors. More than 1,600 cases of TikTok-related cybercrime have been recorded over the past four years in Nepal, according to local media reports. According to BBC Media Action’s report on network usage in Nepal, TikTok is the third most used platform nationally. While YouTube and Facebook are popular among internet users of all age groups, TikTok is highly popular among younger age groups, with over 80% of users aged between 16 and 24 using the platform. Pakistan has temporarily banned the app at least four times since October 2020, while the online shopping service on the platform was closed in Indonesia last month. READ ALSO: Why tiktokers decided to protest in front of the American Congress New scam diverts PIX copy and paste in internet purchases; see how to protect yourself EXTRA INCOME SCAM: understand the risk of accepting to do small tasks on your cell phone Understand what live NPC is, a new trend on TikTok How to report posts on Instagram, TikTok and Kwai and other social networks

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