Social Media Bill registered in Parliament, proposing fines up to one crore rupees

Kathmandu – A bill related to strict regulation on social media has been registered in Parliament.

The government’s spokesperson and Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi subba Gurung, registered the bill in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

The bill, which aims to regulate social media platforms and their users, includes strict provisions, including fines up to one crore rupees and imprisonment for up to five years.

The bill proposes a fine of up to five lakh rupees for individuals involved in “trolling” on social media.

Section 12, Subsection 1 (ka) of the bill states: “Content that disrupts Nepal’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, national security, national unity, independence, self-respect, or national interest, or content that undermines social, cultural, or religious harmony, shall not be allowed to be spread on platforms.” Additionally, it is mentioned that fake IDs cannot be used to access platforms. Economic transactions through such platforms must be conducted exclusively through banking systems.

Section 12, Subsection 1 (ja and jha) further stipulates: “Social media users must disclose their real identity before using the platform. Economic transactions on the platform must be ensured to be conducted through the banking system.”