Kathmandu, Aug 23: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson of CPN (Maoist Centre) Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ said that there might have been financial manipulation behind lifting TikTok ban in Nepal.
The Dahal-led government had banned TikTok on 24 October, 2023, stating that the Chinese app disturbed societal harmony. Before the ban, the then government sent a circular to TikTok mainly to meet three point criteria. But it failed to do so, resulting in the ban.
Nine months later, the government led by KP Sharma Oli lifted the ban.
“The government has removed the TikTok ban. When we were in the government, we made various conditions after intensive discussions with TikTok representatives. Did TikTok accept those conditions or is there financial manipulation behind it? This matter will become clear with the passage of time,” said Dahal’s Secretariat.
Meanwhile, the Oli-led government has also submitted four-point conditions to TikTok for lifting the ban. The government has also warned that the app will be banned again if the three conditions are not met within three months.
The conditions include that TikTok should help promote Nepal’s tourism, work for digital security literacy, help increase the literacy rate of Nepali citizens and help improve the quality of public education, and adopt sensitivity in the language used on social media.
