Nepal Reinstates TikTok After Nine-Month Ban

Nepal has lifted its nine-month ban on the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok. The decision followed an agreement for collaboration between TikTok and Nepal's law enforcement to address cyber crimes and content regulation. The ban initially sparked protests as users lost a key platform for income and expression.

Nepal lifted a nine-month ban on the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok on Thursday, a move aiming to restore 'social harmony and goodwill.' The decision by the Cabinet came after the company agreed to cooperate with Nepal's law enforcement to combat TikTok-related crimes and regulate its content, according to a government source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

ByteDance, TikTok's parent company headquartered in Beijing, expressed satisfaction with Nepal's decision. The app was initially banned in November last year, with the previous government citing concerns of misuse. In the four years leading up to the ban, over 1,600 cybercrime cases linked to TikTok were recorded in the country.

Public outcry followed the ban, with many users protesting the loss of a major income source and a platform for free speech. At the time of the ban, the country had 2.2 million TikTok users, according to the Internet Service Providers' Association of Nepal. To ensure better monitoring, Nepal has requested TikTok to establish a focal unit to assist the Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police in real-time tracking of criminal activity and removal of harmful content.

(With inputs from agencies.)