The government of Nepal yesterday ordered bans on "as many as" 26 social media sites including Facebook, X, Instagram and Youtube. The companies did not meet a local deadline to comply with registration requirements, reports Sanjeev Satgainya.

After repeated requests, the government again, on August 28, set a seven-day deadline for social media platforms to register in Nepal. That deadline expired on Wednesday night. On Wednesday afternoon, Gajendra Thakur, spokesperson for the Ministry, said that the government was hopeful social media companies would approach them before midnight. If they didn't, he said, the government would act accordingly.

"Registration" turns out to require the platforms to give Nepalese authorities oversight of the platforms—an unlikely prospect. "the oversight an

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