Nepal's government lifted a ban on 26 social media platforms late Monday after nationwide protests that left at least 19 people dead and more than 100 injured.
Thousands of mainly young people forced their way into the parliament complex in Kathmandu and held demonstrations in towns across the country to demand the restoration of access to services such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram and to press for action against corruption. The blockade had been imposed last week for platforms that failed to register with the communications ministry, a move the government said was intended to curb fake news, hate speech and online fraud.
The decision to lift the restrictions followed an emergency cabinet meeting called “to address the demands of Gen Z,” Communications and Information Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung said. Protesters had marched on parliament on Monday, carrying placards with slogans such as “enough is enough” and “end to corruption,” and some threw stones at Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s house in Damak.
Security forces used water cannon, batons and rubber bullets to try to disperse demonstrators in the capital. Prime Minister Oli said he was “deeply saddened” by the violence and the loss of life, and blamed the unrest on “infiltration by various vested interest groups.” The government said it would set up a panel to investigate the events, provide free medical treatment for the injured and offer financial relief to victims.
Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned on Monday evening after criticism of the administration’s use of force during the protests. Authorities reported more than 100 people wounded in clashes that also spread to towns outside Kathmandu.
Many young Nepalis said the social media ban was the immediate trigger but not the sole grievance. Demonstrators pointed to allegations of corruption and growing frustration with what they described as authoritarian governance. A recent online campaign spotlighting the lifestyles of politicians’ children and suggesting they benefited from corrupt practices had amplified the protests’ themes.
The government has defended the registration requirement as an effort to bring global platforms into compliance with Nepali law, saying it was not banning services but seeking to regulate them. Critics argued that the timing and breadth of the blocking disproportionately affected young people who use social media for news, entertainment and business.
International and domestic rights groups have previously warned about restrictions on digital freedoms in Nepal. The abrupt rollout of the ban and the rapid escalation of street protests prompted a swift political response, culminating in the cabinet decision to restore access.
Authorities have not released a full, independent casualty list. The government-ordered inquiry is expected to examine the sequence of events that led to the storming of parliament, the scale of force used by police, and the chain of decisions that produced the shutdown and its reversal. For now, officials say the priority is restoring normalcy, treating the injured and reviewing the ministry’s social media registration requirements.
The lifting of the ban removes immediate restrictions on platforms used by millions of Nepalis, but the incidents have highlighted deeper political tensions and public discontent that officials say they must address through the promised investigation and policy review.