The proposed social media regulation bill from the K.P. Sharma Oli government faces strong opposition because critics believe it would restrict free expression hugely throughout Nepal. The “Bill Related to Operation, Use, and Regulation of Social Media” which Upper House registered on January 28 functions to establish disciplined operation and systematic use of safe social media in Nepal. Free speech defenders maintain that the bill contains ambiguous terms which protestors believe could lead to suppressing critical opinions.
Social media entities must seek Nepal registration under this law while platform users will face criminal penalties for any content found dangerous to “national sovereignty, unity, or cultural tolerance.” People violating this provision could receive both prison terms of up to five years together with monetary penalties capped at Rs. 5,00,000. Tara Nath Dahal of Freedom Forum joins other critics who argue that the insufficient detail in the bill risks both common user incarceration and restrictions on media freedom. The new regulation seeks absolute dominance over everything accessible through the internet according to Dahal’s evaluation.
Media experts observe that the bill emerged during a period where Nepalese citizens demonstrate increasing discontent toward their ruling elites. The essential role social media plays in allowing citizen dissent makes the government’s action appear like a form of retaliation. Past attempts at containing online discontent included the TikTok restriction during 2023 before the new bill came into effect. 
Everybody agrees that the nation needs specialized laws which would fight against misinformation and hate speech however these laws must preserve democratic principles. According to Ujjwal Acharya from the Centre for Media Research this legislation in its present state would make users practice self-censorship because it creates an atmosphere of fear. Many coalition partners have asked for updates to the bill because of widespread public criticism although democratic concerns still linger about its impact on Nepal’s democratic system.
