Nepal lifts nine-month ban on TikTok as platform agrees to government conditions

Aug. 23 (UPI) -- The government of Nepal lifted a ban on TikTok imposed late last year over claims the social media app disrupted the nation's "social harmony."

Prithvi Subba Gurung, Nepal's minister for communications and information technology, announced the decision to end the nine-month ban at the conclusion of a cabinet meeting on Thursday that came after TikTok agreed to fulfill a number of conditions imposed by the government.

"Now onwards, TikTok has to help promote Nepal's tourism; invest in digital literacy efforts; support to uplift Nepal's public education system; and be mindful of the language used on its platform," Gurung said.

TikTok, which is owned by China-based ByteDance, said it was happy to be allowed back in the country.

"We're excited to be able to continue enabling Nepali voices and creativity," a spokesman for TikTok said, according to The New York Times.

In November, the Nepali government complained that the "propaganda" on the social media site disrupted the country's family structure and social relations. It said the ban was meant to address what it called a flood of "misinformation" on the website.

Nepal's decision was a break from its neighbor India, which banned TikTok and many other Chinese apps in 2020. India's rejection of Chinese apps is rooted in the poor geopolitical climate between the two countries.

TikTok also faces the prospect of a ban in the United States after President Joe Biden signed a law in April urging ByteDance to divest its interests in TikTok or see the app barred from Apple's App Store and Google Play.