Nepal has announced its decision to ban TikTok, citing the disruption of social harmony and goodwill caused by the misuse of the popular video app. As per local media reports, more than 1,600 cases of cybercrime related to the app have been registered in Nepal over the past four years.

Rekha Sharma, the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, confirmed that this decision was made during a cabinet meeting. The Nepal Telecom Authority has already issued directives instructing Internet service providers to close the app.

TikTok has faced partial or complete bans in several countries due to security concerns. India, Nepal's neighboring country, banned Bytedance's service and other Chinese-developed apps in June 2020, citing potential threats to national security and integrity. Similarly, Pakistan has repeatedly banned the app, referring to its "immoral and indecent" content. Worldwide too, many countries have opted for such cautionary approach with TikTok.