Nepal has lifted a ban on social media platforms following mass protests and the killing of 19 people in clashes with security forces, a government minister said.
Cabinet spokesman and Minister of Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung said early on Tuesday that the government had rolled back the social media ban imposed last week.
I’m not sure where you are getting the idea that the government wants to protect the country and it’s citizens. It’s been clear for a few years that only thing the government wants to do is censor any negative posts/comments where people mention corruption by these politician. Other thing you are also overlooking is that companies like Facebook and google don’t need the traffic from a tiny country like Nepal. What could the population provide a company of those sizes whose GDP per Capita is about $1000. People barely have enough to survive, they aren’t spending money on things that are advertised to them. Facebook and google would happily stop services there instead of being viewed as someone that can be strong armed into helping developing nation stiffle free speech. They don’t need the money and they certainly don’t need the negative publicity. Now I’m saying all of these as someone from Nepal, who has had the opportunity to leave the country for a better life in the US while still having family members in the country who I visit frequently and someone who is intimately familiar with the political ongoings of Nepal. What I see and what I’m saying is how the average protestor is viewing the state of the country. The only difference is that they have to live it while I’m lucky enough to not have to deal with it day to day.