Regulating Social Media: Surveying the Impact of Nepali Government's TikTok Ban
Prerana Khatiwada, Alejandro Ciuba, Aditya Nayak, Aakash Gautam, Matthew Louis Mauriello
TL;DR
The paper examines Nepal's TikTok ban to understand how regulatory actions affect digital life in a resource-limited setting. It triangulates an online survey (N=108) conducted after the ban's lift to reveal how users valued, navigated, and migrated across platforms, including VPN-based circumvention. The study contributes empirical insights on user adaptation, the emergence of alternative platforms, and a proposed collective governance model that combines local norms, civil-society oversight, and algorithmic accountability, with a focus on digital literacy and safeguards. Findings highlight governance gaps, persistent privacy concerns, and the need for polycentric oversight to balance safety, culture, and expression in transitional societies like Nepal.
Abstract
Social media platforms have transformed global communication and interaction, with TikTok emerging as a critical tool for education, connection, and social impact, including in contexts where infrastructural resources are limited. Amid growing political discussions about banning platforms like TikTok, such actions can create significant ripple effects, particularly impacting marginalized communities. We present a study on Nepal, where a TikTok ban was recently imposed and lifted. As a low-resource country in transition where digital communication is rapidly evolving, TikTok enables a space for community engagement and cultural expression. In this context, we conducted an online survey (N=108) to explore user values, experiences, and strategies for navigating online spaces post-ban. By examining these transitions, we aim to improve our understanding of how digital technologies, policy responses, and cultural dynamics interact globally and their implications for governance and societal norms. Our results indicate that users express skepticism toward platform bans but often passively accept them without active opposition. Findings suggest the importance of institutionalizing collective governance models that encourage public deliberation, nuanced control, and socially resonant policy decisions.