Nepal PM K P Sharma Oli Reacts To 'Planned Gen Z Rebellion' Against Government, Says 'We Are Not Against Social Networks'

Kathmandu saw itself in turmoil after Nepal’s government imposed a sweeping ban on Facebook, YouTube and X, sparking one of the country’s biggest youth-led uprisings in years. Thousands of youths, many of them students, have flooded the streets of Kathmandu, Ithari and other cities, protesting against corruption and demanding an immediate end to the ban. The movement, quickly branded the “Gen Z revolution,” has spread through word of mouth and encrypted apps, as the usual digital lifelines remain shut down. Now, Nepal PM K P Sharma Oli has reacted to the ongoing protest and said they are not against social media but against the "lawlessness, arrogance, and belittling" of the country.

"...I hear of a planned 'Gen Z rebellion.' We are not against platforms or social networks; we are against lawlessness, arrogance, and belittling our country. For a year, we told social networks: register under Nepal’s law, pay taxes, and be accountable.  They replied, 'We don’t know your constitution.' Then intellectuals complain: four jobs lost," Oli said in his statement.

Oli further asked, "But are four jobs bigger than national self-respect? For self-respect, maybe four jobs go for four days, but new ones will come. They cannot be operators, managers, and consumers all at once."

The protests erupted after 26 social media apps were banned in Nepal. Footage on local TV and social media shows crowds confronting police outside government buildings and blocking key roads. In the capital, some protesters even forced their way into parliament, a dramatic sign of frustration at what many see as a government unwilling to listen.

The government justifies its actions by citing repeated warnings to platforms to establish offices in Nepal, a Cabinet decision last month setting a deadline, and a Supreme Court ruling on August 17 requiring registration and tax compliance. However, the bill cited in the ban, The Operation, Use, and Regulation of Social Media in Nepal, has not yet been passed by Parliament. 

Also Read: Nepal Gen Z Protest Against Curbs On Social Media, Internet Ban and Corruption