The move came weeks after Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli took office following the collapse of the previous government.
Nepal has lifted its ban on TikTok less than a year after blocking the Chinese app, reportedly citing concerns about “social harmony.”
Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung announced the decision on Thursday after a cabinet meeting.
The move came after Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, who was sworn in last month after the collapse of the previous coalition government, issued a directive calling for equal treatment of all social networking platforms, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Al Jazeera understands that the decision was made after TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, communicated with the Nepalese government in recent weeks to assure it that it would comply with all legal requirements, promote digital safety and set up a dedicated channel for content-related requests from authorities.
TikTok expressed its joy at the lifting of the ban.
“The creativity and passion of our community has brought joy to households across Nepal and created important economic opportunities for incredibly talented creators and businesses. We are excited to continue to champion Nepali voices and creativity as we work to support Nepal’s success story,” a TikTok spokesperson said.
The previous government of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal banned the app in November, saying it spread content that “disturbed social peace and disrupted family structures and social relationships.”
TikTok, one of the world’s most popular social media platforms with more than a billion monthly users, has been restricted in dozens of countries amid concerns about its impact on young people and alleged risks to national security.
Nepal’s neighbor India banned the app entirely in 2020, along with dozens of other Chinese-developed apps, after violent clashes along the India-China border.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice sued TikTok for allegedly violating laws that require platforms to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from users under 13.
