The advent of social media giants such as Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok has revolutionised the way we connect with the world. In the contemporary digital era, social media platforms have made it easier to share information of any volume, create online communities based on shared mutual interests, join hands for the purpose of social activism, and advertise any brand, product, or service with ease.

With the gradual penetration of these platforms across the world, there has been a surge in the spread of false information and hate speech, social media addiction, and fewer interactions with people in real life, as well as an escalation in cybercrimes.

Social Media Platforms: Compromising On National Security

Social media platforms’ role in putting the national security of any nation at risk from negative foreign influences is a controversial topic. These platforms can hinder national security and integrity by supporting information warfare, terrorist or anti-social activities, breaking social harmony, among many other things, and leading to the social or political disability of any nation. Government bodies from various nations have taken severe actions in recent years in a bid to regulate these platforms. Social media networking platforms such as TikTok have been involved in controversies and spreading false information.

What Happened In Nepal?

Nepal had ordered all the major social media platforms, including TikTok, to open liaison offices there, abide by the constitutional rules, and pay taxes to the government. It is not clear if TikTok officials refused to follow the government’s order or agreed with the Nepalese government. Soon after, the Nepalese government has decided to impose a nation-wide ban on TikTok, the popular Chinese app, citing that the app has been involved in destabilising the country’s social harmony.

According to media reports, the cabinet ministry of the ruling government sat down for a meeting to discuss the effect of social media on Nepal’s socio-political scene. Soon after, the Nepalese government made public its decision to ban TikTok. There was news doing the rounds that a large section of Nepalese society has been complaining that the popular Chinese app spreads hate content frequently.

According to local media houses in Nepal, over 1,500 cybercrimes have been reported across the country in the last few years, all directly or indirectly linked to the popular Chinese app. Purushottam Khanal, from the Nepal Telecom Authority, announced that internet service providers in all parts of Nepal were asked to discontinue providing TikTok.

TikTok: The Platform That Was Always In Question

TikTok is operated by the Chinese tech giant ByteDance and is visited by over a billion users every month. It is the sixth-largest social media platform in the world but is often alleged to promote racism, be biassed, encourage unfair or unattainable beauty standards, and promote hate crimes against women, among others. Nepal’s friendly neighbour India had permanently banned TikTok along with several other Chinese apps across the country in the year 2020 citing that these apps pose a threat to the country’s internal security as well as integrity.

TikTok: Alleged Association With The Chinese Government

China’s close ally Pakistan has also imposed temporary bans on TikTok several times in the past, specifying that the platform’s content is indecent, immoral, and inappropriate for Pakistanis. Allegations have always surfaced that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) secretly controls Chinese apps like TikTok, among others, to spread propaganda for the CCP.

On the other hand, ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, declined claims that the Chinese Communist Party secretly controls the sixth-largest social media platform in the world. Countries such as Britain, the United States of America, and New Zealand have also expressed their concerns over TikTok’s alleged association with the CCP.

Soon after the banning of TikTok was announced among the Nepalese media, millions of Nepalese TikTok users were shockingly taken aback by the news. Several controversies have always surrounded TikTok, and the platform has been believed by people to be a puppet in the hands of the Chinese government.