Kathmandu – The latest one-week deadline given by the government to register Facebook, which we all use daily, and its parent company Meta in Nepal, expired three days ago. However, Meta, the American company that runs Facebook, has shown no interest so far – neither saying 'yes' nor 'no'. This situation seems to have left the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, and ministry officials in a state of confusion about what to do next. A previously given one-month deadline had also ended on Baishakh 7 (April 20).

Despite the government's repeated reminders to "register, register," Meta's unresponsiveness has fueled concerns that Facebook itself might be banned. The general public is also eagerly watching to see what action the government will take.

Why is the Government in a Dilemma?

Minister Gurung said, "We are still trying, our colleagues (ministry staff) are making efforts." However, he did not clarify how long these efforts would continue.

Police have been stating that recently, incidents of fraud, crime, and malicious activities through Facebook and other social media platforms have significantly increased. Minister Gurung, who is also the government spokesperson, added, "Looking at police statistics, many crimes appear to be linked to Facebook. If it promotes murder, violence, or disturbs national unity and integrity, the government will not remain silent, will it?"

Meta's Disregard, Government 'Disappointed'

Officials state that the government's intention behind seeking Facebook's registration is not to interfere but merely to bring it within a regulatory framework. According to Minister Gurung, "We only asked them to register and designate a contact address or person in Nepal. Our desire is that if content against Nepal's constitution, our culture, or content that promotes ethnic discrimination appears on Facebook, it can be removed or blocked."

He mentioned that discussions on this matter took place when a Meta representative visited Nepal after he became minister. "At that time, I had asked them to register and also to cooperate in Nepal's agriculture and health sectors under social responsibility," Gurung recalled. "She said 'okay' and mentioned she would come again after two or three months. But after that, we tried to contact them many times, but no one came into contact." This has left the government disappointed.

According to a ministry official, efforts were then made to contact Meta through the Nepal-America Chamber of Commerce and Nepalis living in America. However, Nepali officials were further disheartened by a recent online conversation with representatives from Meta's Singapore office. "In that conversation, they behaved as if they didn't care about Nepal or Nepal's laws at all," that official lamented.

Ministry spokesperson Gajendra Kumar Thakur stated that even after sending two letters each to X (formerly Twitter) and Meta (owner of Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram) over a few months, no response has been received.

What Does Meta Want? Officials Themselves Are Unaware

Spokesperson Thakur says, "They haven't said yes, nor have they said no. What they actually want is not understood." He mentioned that although there are informal talks about difficulties in repatriating money from Nepal, Meta has never formally raised this issue. "If that were such a problem, we could have coordinated with the Ministry of Finance to facilitate it. But they didn't say anything at all," Thakur added. "We have even said we will register them online, just designate a contact person or institution. What difficulty there is in this, they haven't said that either. This is not even really registration, it's just listing, a record-keeping task."

When asked what will be done now, spokesperson Thakur stated that they are awaiting the government's decision. "The Minister had said that if they don't come within seven days, it would be shut down. But so far, the process has not moved forward. Whatever the government says, we will proceed accordingly," he said.

A team formed by the government is studying the advantages and disadvantages of social media in Nepal. "That study report will probably come out soon. It might also provide some suggestions. After that, the government will surely make some decision," Thakur expressed hope.

Does the Government Have No Alternatives?

Some experts say that large companies like Meta might be ignoring the Nepal government because they don't see any strong alternatives for the government. According to digital rights activist and advocate Santosh Sigdel, "Meta might be thinking that the Nepal government is compelled and won't ban it, and thus is ignoring them. Nepal doesn't have another popular platform like Facebook. That's why they might not be taking it seriously."

However, government officials are not ready to accept this. Ministry spokesperson Thakur says, "We don't want such a situation to arise. If Facebook has to be banned, there are other alternatives like Viber." Minister Gurung also stated that it would be wrong to think there is no alternative to Facebook. "There must be countries in the world where Facebook is banned, mustn't there?" he argued.

What are the Rules?

Last Kartik (mid-October to mid-November), the Ministry of Communications had asked social media platforms operating in Nepal to get listed within three months. This process began after the 'Directives to Regulate the Use of Social Networking Sites, 2080 (2023)' was issued on Mangsir 11 (November 27).

According to the rules, social media platforms must register with the Ministry of Communications, renew every three years, and arrange for content contrary to Nepal's laws not to reach users. There are rules such as the company needing to be registered, having a contact person or office in Nepal, and designating a person to listen to any grievances. The directives also grant the Ministry the authority to block such social media platforms from operating in Nepal if they are not registered.

For now, ordinary Nepalis are waiting to see whether Facebook will get registered or if the government will take any action.

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