Supreme Court Rejects Interim Order Against Tik Tok Ban

The Supreme Court has ordered the government to show cause in the case against the government's decision to shut down TikTok in Nepal.

In a significant legal development, 13 writ petitions were filed in the Supreme Court challenging the government's decision to ban TikTok in Nepal, a move that sparked controversy and public outcry. The decision, made on 27th Kartik, led to a consolidated hearing initiated on Tuesday, with a single bench headed by Judge Vinod Sharma.

Court Information Officer Govinda Prasad Ghimire revealed that the bench has ordered the government to submit a comprehensive reply within 15 days, following a show-cause notice. The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for November 19. Notably, the court has declined to issue an interim order as requested by legal professionals supporting the writ.

 The Council of Ministers decided to shut down TikTok on the Nepali Internet saying that it played a role in disrupting social harmony and the environment. Tihar holidays were going on in Nepal when the decision to ban Tiktok was made. After the holidays, various cases were registered in the Supreme Court against the ban on TikTok.

The petitioners claim that the decision to shut down TikTok in Nepal is against fundamental rights and violates freedom of expression. They said that there is no legal basis for shutting down TikTok in Nepal.

A group also demonstrated in Maitighar on Monday against the ban on the video-sharing app, which is very popular in Nepal.

Objection by the Chinese company that operates Tiktok

After the closure of Tiktok in Nepal, ByteDance, the Chinese company that operates Tiktok, sent a letter to Nepal's Regulatory Telecommunication Authority and said that it was "surprised" by the government's decision to close the platform.

• TikTok Sent A Seven-Point Letter To The Authorities of Nepal

ByteDance, in a seven-point letter, reminded of the agreements reached with the government agencies of Nepal and the discussions held in Nepal and said that due to the ban, the Nepali youth will suffer financial loss.

It also mentioned that the safety of the users is the most important priority of TikTok.

How popular is TikTok in Nepal?

The Nepal Telecommunication Authority requested TikTok to follow the decision of the Government of Nepal and to cooperate by making the platform not operate within Nepal.

• The Nepal Telecom Wrote A Reply Letter To The TikTok

According to TikTok, this service was registered as a digital service taxpayer in Nepal on August 29.

According to a report published by BBC Media Action, TikTok was the most viewed social network in Nepal after YouTube and Facebook.

While YouTube and Facebook are popular among Nepali users of all age groups, TikTok was highly preferred by the younger generation. 80 percent of social media users between the ages of sixteen and 24 were on TikTok.

Some Tiktok users have also made Tiktok a means of income sources.