14 Killed in Massive Protests in Nepal Over Social Media Ban At least 14 people died in violent protests in Nepal on Monday, sparked by the government's shutdown of social media platforms and allegations of corruption. Background Nepal blocked access to several social media platforms, including Facebook, last week. The ban followed a government crackdown requiring platforms to register with authorities, targeting misuse. The government accused social media users with fake IDs of spreading hate speech, fake news, fraud, and crimes. The Protests Thousands of youths, including students in school or college uniforms, protested in Kathmandu. Demonstrators carried placards with slogans such as: "Shut down corruption and not social media" "Unban social media" "Youths against corruption" Protesters attempted to break into the parliament building, which is off-limits for demonstrations. Police erected barbed wire barricades and used tear gas, rubber bullets, batons, and water cannons to disperse crowds. Authorities imposed a curfew around parliament until 10 pm local time to control the situation. Context Many Nepalese perceive corruption as rampant and criticize Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's government for not fulfilling its promises. The social media ban reflects a global trend, with several governments (US, EU, Brazil, India, China, Australia) tightening oversight on social media and tech companies due to concerns about misinformation, data privacy, online harm, and national security. Additional Information The protests involved violent clashes between police and demonstrators. The government has justified the ban as a measure against misuse of social platforms. --- Tags #KathmanduProtest, #NepalCorruption, #NepalGovernment, #NepalPolice, #NepalProtests, #SocialMediaBan, #SocialMediaShutdown, #UnbanSocialMedia, #YouthAgainstCorruption, #FreeExpression --- Reported by Reuters, Kathmandu | Updated Sep 08, 2025, 04:49 PM IST