Nepal protests: Why Nepal banned social media and how it led to Gen-Z revolution

A youngster shouts slogans during the massive anti-government protests in Kathmandu on Monday. (Image: Reuters)

Tens of thousands of young Nepalis came onto the streets on Monday in what is being seen as a Gen-Z revolution over the social media ban imposed by the government last week.

The country on Thursday banned 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, alleging that they failed to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.

The ban drew Gen-Z rage as thousands of young Nepalis took to the streets to protest against the ban. At least 19 people were killed and more than 300 were injured as police cracked down against protesters, firing rubber bullets and teargas shells.

The protests, which started in the capital Kathmandu, spread to other areas of the Himalayan country. Curfew was imposed in several areas, including Baneshwor, Singhadurbar, Narayanhiti, and sensitive government areas.

As the protests spiralled, the Home Minister tendered his resignation and the Army was deployed. Following the fatalities, the Prime Minister Oli-led government announced that it has decided to lift the ban. After a cabinet meeting, Prithvi Subba Gurung, the Minister of Communication and Information Technology of Nepal, said the government has ordered the concerned agencies to start the process of resuming the social media sites as per the demands of the ‘Gen-Z', which spearheaded a massive protest in front of the Parliament in the heart of Kathmandu.

Why Nepal banned social media?

According to ministry officials, it had set a seven-day deadline from August 28 for social media companies to complete registration. When the deadline expired on Wednesday night, no global platforms, including Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Alphabet (YouTube), X (formerly Twitter), Reddit or LinkedIn, had submitted applications.

TikTok, Viber, Witk, Nimbuzz and Popo Live were listed as registered. Telegram and Global Diary are still in the approval process, officials said.

The ministry directed the Nepal Telecommunications Authority to disable unregistered platforms from Thursday midnight. Spokesperson Gajendra Kumar Thakur said any platform completing registration would be restored the same day.

The government's directions followed a Supreme Court order last year. The social media giants had been asked to establish a point of contact and name a resident grievance handling officer and compliance officer.

What led to protests?

The anger on Nepal’s streets goes beyond just the social media blackout. For many young protesters, the ban was the breaking point in a long list of frustrations with the government. What began as an outrage over blocked platforms quickly turned into a wider movement calling out corruption, authoritarianism, and a lack of accountability in leadership.

“Stop the ban on social media, stop corruption not social media,” the crowds chanted, waving the red and blue national flags.

Analysts say the so-called ‘Gen-Z Revolution’ is rooted in deep frustrations over corruption and widening economic inequality. The government’s decision to ban social media became the tipping point, pushing Nepal’s digital-native youth from screens to the streets in a bold, coordinated act of resistance.

(With inputs from agencies)