KATHMANDU: The government, which had warned it would shut down unregistered social media platforms, is currently waiting for responses from these platforms.

Government officials have stated that they will wait until midnight for emails from the platform operators, after which unresponsive platforms may be blocked.

Last Thursday, the government issued a notice requiring all social media platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google, and Gmail—that had not yet registered in Nepal to complete the registration process.

Today marks the end of the seven-day ultimatum the government had given for social media registration in Nepal. However, so far, no platform operators have submitted applications to register in the country.

“The ultimatum was given, but no social media company has even informed us about registration in Nepal,” a source from the Nepal Telecommunications Authority said.

“Officials from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology will wait until midnight to see if any email arrives. Meanwhile, citizens who use these platforms are strongly opposing the move. There are informal talks that platforms may be shut down if no response comes by 12 a.m., but nothing has been finalized,” the source added.

The government is reportedly unclear about which platforms would actually be blocked. Since Google Search and Gmail have their own large user base, shutting them down could backfire on the government.

“Daily correspondence and communication would be affected, and closing legal search engines could lead to accusations of violating the right to information. Therefore, some platforms will likely remain operational after midnight, while others deemed non-essential may be blocked,” an official explained.

As of now, only Viber and TikTok are registered and operational in Nepal.

Major platforms widely used by Nepalis—such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and several others—have not yet registered in the country.

The government has repeatedly issued notices asking social media platforms operating in Nepal, whether from within the country or abroad, to register.

After previous requests were declined, the ministry issued a final notice on Thursday.

Government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung, addressing the National Assembly on August 19, said that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, was repeatedly urged to register in Nepal, but it responded that it was not ready to comply with Nepal’s laws and constitution.

According to the ministry’s notice, operational platforms are required to register with the ministry, designate contact points in Nepal, appoint officials to receive local complaints, and assign compliance monitoring officers.