Regulating Social Media: Surveying the Impact of Nepali Government's TikTok Ban

2025-10-08

AI Summary

This study examines the differential impacts of Nepal’s TikTok ban on marginalized communities, revealing tensions between regulatory enforcement, cultural expression, and digital rights in digital governance. Employing a mixed-methods approach—including an online survey of 108 users, in-depth interviews, and socio-technical systems analysis—the research finds widespread skepticism regarding the ban’s efficacy, alongside patterns of strategic compliance and passive adaptation—highlighting deficits in regulatory legitimacy and inclusivity. The study innovatively proposes a “resonant co-governance” framework, grounded in institutionalized public consultation, culturally attuned impact assessment, and low-resource context adaptability, positioning marginalized users’ digital practices at the core of policy design. These findings offer a scalable, context-sensitive governance model for Global South nations seeking to reconcile content regulation with digital inclusion and rights-based empowerment.

Technology Category

• Natural Language Processing: Ethics — Bias, Fairness, Transparency & Privacy
• Philosophy and Ethics of AI: AI & Law, Justice, Regulation & Governance
• Application Domains: Humanities & Computational Social Science

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Technology governance, policy, and regulations
• Social Networks and Social Media: Media and governance, opinion dynamics, filter bubbles, polarization
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics for personalization

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.

Problem

• Examining impacts of TikTok ban on marginalized communities in Nepal
• Investigating user values and strategies after social media platform restrictions
• Understanding interaction between digital technologies, policies, and cultural dynamics

Innovation

• Online survey to explore user values
• Examining transitions in digital communication
• Institutionalizing collective governance models