- Thousands, many in their 20s, got together to protest in the capital Kathmandu against social media ban
- Nepal has blocked access to social media platforms that missed the deadline to register under new rules
- People are sharing videos under hashtags such as #NepoKid #NepoBabies to drive home the point
Thousands of protesters, led by Generation Z, took to the streets in Kathmandu demanding the government lift the social media ban and tackle corruption. At least 19 people were killed in the protests.
"#Nepo Kids" has jumped to the top of the social media trends.
Protesters carried placards carrying slogans such as "Shut down corruption and not social media", "Unban social media", and "Youths against corruption", as they marched through Kathmandu. The organisers called the protests "demonstrations by Gen Z".
Last week, Nepal's government blocked access to several social media platforms after the companies missed the deadline to register under new regulations, aimed at cracking down on misuse.
Nepal's government has said social media users create fake IDs and use them to spread hate speech and fake news, commit fraud and other crimes on these platforms. A government notice directed the regulator, Nepal Telecommunications Authority, to deactivate unregistered social media but gave no details of which platforms faced action. The services will be restored once the platforms comply with its order, the government said.
Local media reported that Meta's Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, Alphabet's YouTube, China's Tencent and Snapchat, Pinterest and X have been inaccessible in Nepal since Friday after the government blocked 26 unregistered platforms, leaving users angry and confused.
A communications ministry official told Reuters that TikTok, Viber, WeTalk, Nimbuzz and Poppo Live had registered with the government.
There have been several corruption cases reported in the last few years involving ministers, former ministers and high-profile officials.
"There have been movements abroad against corruption and they (the government) are afraid that might happen here as well," protester Bhumika Bharati told AFP.
Since the ban, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, the ban on the site was lifted August last year after the platform's South Asia division agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.
"Nepobabies live lavishly on the vast sums their corrupt parents steal from taxpayers-hard-earned money sent home through the sweat of migrant labor," read a post.
People are sharing videos under hashtags such as #NepoKid #NepoBabies #PoliticiansNepoBabyNepal, questioning whether privilege or personal effort drives politicians' children's success. Some are calling for street protests.
"We were triggered by the social media ban but that is not the only reason we are gathered here," student Yujan Rajbhandari, 24, told AFP.
"We are protesting against corruption that has been institutionalised in Nepal."
Another student, Ikshama Tumrok, 20, said she was protesting against the "authoritarian attitude" of the government.
"We want to see change. Others have endured this, but it has to end with our generation," she told AFP.
Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli has reacted to the Gen Z protest and said that his administration is not against platforms but against "lawlessness, arrogance and belittling our country".
He stated that the government had directed social media networks to register and pay taxes as per Nepal's law, however, the companies did not comply.
"...I hear of a planned 'Gen Z rebellion.' We are not against platforms or social networks, we are against lawlessness, arrogance, and belittling our country. For a year, we told social networks: Register under Nepal's law, pay taxes, and be accountable. They replied, 'We don't know your constitution.' Then intellectuals complain: four jobs lost. But are four jobs bigger than national self-respect? For self-respect, maybe four jobs go for four days, but new ones will come. They cannot be operators, managers, and consumers all at once..." said Mr Oli.
