Kathmandu, August 27: The messaging app Telegram, which was banned in Nepal last month over its alleged involvement in online fraud and money laundering, has formally applied for registration with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.
According to ministry officials, Telegram’s application will be reviewed this week. The government had imposed the ban on July 18, ordering all telecom operators and internet service providers to block access to the platform following a directive from the Nepal Telecommunications Authority.
Ministry spokesperson and Joint Secretary Gajendra Kumar Thakur said the company has now submitted the required documents to operate in Nepal. “We are not against any platform. Telegram has come forward to register and committed to following our regulations. A final decision will be made this week,” he said.
The move came after Telegram’s representative, Sandeep Yadav, visited Nepal to assure the government that the company would comply with social media rules. Officials noted that the application was initiated only after the authority formally enforced the ban.
Nepal currently has about 1.1 million Telegram users, but police have reported a sharp rise in online fraud schemes being conducted on the platform. Fraudsters, officials say, exploit Telegram’s feature that allows users to hide phone numbers, making it difficult to identify and track offenders.
The ban drew criticism from 27 digital rights and freedom of expression groups, who argued the decision would harm Nepal’s digital economy, small businesses, and technology-based services. They also denounced it as a violation of fundamental rights.
Alongside Telegram, another platform, Global View, has also applied for registration. The ministry’s Social Media Management Unit is expected to decide on both applications by Friday.
At present, five social media platforms are registered in Nepal, with Viber and TikTok being the most widely used. TikTok itself was briefly banned in the past, before its compliance with government rules allowed the suspension to be lifted.
The government’s renewed focus comes after a recent Supreme Court order mandating that all social media platforms must be registered in Nepal. Previously, companies like Meta argued there was no binding provision in law. But now, the ruling carries legal force, and the ministry says it is its responsibility to implement it.
Officials believe that with Telegram entering the registration process, other global platforms may be compelled to follow suit.