Kathmandu – The seven-day deadline given by the government for social media platforms to register in Nepal has expired without a single application being filed. Last Thursday, the government issued a notice calling on all social media operating in Nepal to apply for official listing within a week.

By Wednesday’s office hours, no application had been received, according to Ministry of Communication spokesperson Gajendra Thakur. He clarified that while the 5 PM office deadline had passed, platforms could still submit applications by midnight via email. However, the government is preparing to ban those who neither register nor make contact.

Facebook History Timeline

• 2004, Feb 4: TheFacebook launched by Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard
• 2004, June: First official investment received
• 2005, Aug: Dropped “The” and became simply Facebook
• 2006: Introduced News Feed feature
• 2007, May: Launched Facebook Platform for developers
• 2008, Oct: Opened international HQ in Dublin
• 2009, Feb: Introduced the Like button
• 2011, Nov: Rolled out Facebook Timeline profiles
• 2012, Apr: Acquired Instagram
• 2012, May: Went public with IPO, raising $16 billion
• 2012, Oct: Reached 1 billion active users
• 2014, Feb: Acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion
• 2016, Apr: Launched Facebook Live video streaming
• 2021, Oct: Rebranded parent company to Meta

If you’d like this adapted into Nepali or want a visual timeline for presentation, I’d be happy to help!

The government’s strategy is first to target pure social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for restriction. Services like Google, YouTube, and Gmail will not be shut down immediately, officials confirmed.

Authorities said no further Cabinet decision is needed, as the Ministry has already been authorized to block unregistered platforms through the Nepal Telecommunications Authority. Meanwhile, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has recently introduced content monetization in Nepal, a move seen as influenced by government pressure.

Still, critics argue that the government’s move is a tactic to curb growing public dissent. The Home Ministry has also instructed its subordinate agencies to remain on standby for potential disruptions once the ban is enforced.