Cultural Survival stands in solidarity with people in Nepal, especially with Indigenous Peoples, against the government's decision on September 4, 2025, to ban 26 social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The government claims this ban was put on social media platforms because they did not follow the registration regulations. This restriction has resulted in a significant threat to the freedom of expression, communication, and the cultural survival of marginalized communities, including Indigenous Peoples in Nepal. Therefore, we strongly condemn the government decion and urge government for immediate reconsideration and restore the access to these important social media platforms to protect the democratic freedoms and human rights guaranteed under the international laws like Universal Declaraton on Human Rights (UDHR), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Culutural Rights (ICESCR) among others, to which Nepal government is a party.
For Indigenous Peoples in Nepal, who make up 36 percent of the country's total 30 million population, social media serves more than a communication tool. It has been an essential platform for safeguarding and documenting their languages, ceremonies, and cultural heritage. Indigenous people have been excluded from the mainstream media, as these are controlled mainly by economically and politically powerful groups and are primarily concentrated in urban areas. Thus, they have long been using these platforms to advocate for their rights, raise their concerns over the violations, and connect with global audiences. Therefore, the ban on these social media sites has completely silenced their voices, disrupted their avenues for organizing, and threatened their ability to preserve their identities. This restriction has not merely limited their communication but also is a direct attack on their rights and cultural survival.
The ban on social media is not something new. In 2023, the Nepalese government banned TikTok; however, the ban was lifted after about nine months. The latest ban comes a week after the Supreme Court issued a directive to regulate social media platforms to curb misinformation. However, the Court did not explicitly order the government to ban platforms that failed to register; instead, it had directed officials to make appropriate legal arrangements immediately, within the framework of the law. TikTok and Viber are among the social media apps not affected by the recent government order, as these have been registered in Nepal. Besides, all other social media platforms have been banned, resulting in undermining the freedom of expression, systemic exclusion, and further violating the democratic and human rights principles that Nepal has long sought to uphold. The impact is especially devastating for Indigenous Peoples, whose access to alternative media platforms for advocacy and cultural expression is already limited. Cultural Survival calls on the government of Nepal to revoke its decision and ensure a vibrant, inclusive democracy where freedom of expression is restored for everyone. We call on the government of Nepal to cease all violence against protesters and protect the rights of its citizens to freedom of assembly and protest.
