KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court has issued a mandamus order nearly five years after writ petitions were filed seeking restrictions on advertisements and content broadcast through unlicensed social media platforms, OTT apps, and internet browsers.

A joint bench of Justices Tek Prasad Dhungana and Shanti Singh Thapa on Wednesday heard three related writ petitions together and ruled in favor of the petitioners.

In December 2020, advocates B.P. Gautam and Anita Bajgain had filed writs demanding a ban on unrestricted broadcasts, including foreign advertisements, through social media platforms.

Similarly, Manoj Gurung, General Secretary of the Nepal Cable Television Federation, had filed a writ of the same nature.

The court consolidated the cases before issuing the mandamus, effectively directing that unlicensed platforms must stop broadcasting advertisements and content without legal permission.