Facebook, Instagram Go Dark in Nepal as Government Enforces Ban on Unregistered Platforms

Kathmandu, Nepal – September 2025:

Users across Nepal are reporting a major outage of Facebook and Instagram, following the Nepalese government's decision to enforce a nationwide ban on unregistered social media platforms. As of late evening on Friday, both platforms have gone offline in the country, with users receiving error messages such as "This site can’t be reached” and “Safari can’t connect to the server” when attempting to log in via web browsers.

The restriction appears to be part of a broader regulatory effort by the government to monitor and control the operations of social platforms that have not complied with new content and registration guidelines. Mobile app versions of Facebook and Instagram remained partially accessible initially, but many users suspect it is only a matter of time before those, too, are fully blocked.

“I tried logging in to Facebook via Safari and Google Chrome, but it's not working anymore,” said Monika Malla, a university graduate in Kathmandu. “The app still works for now, but I’m sure it will also go dark soon.”

While Facebook and Instagram users scrambled to understand the extent of the outage, other platforms such as WhatsApp, Twitter (X), and YouTube remained operational as of 10:45 PM NPT.

The move has sparked concern among digital rights advocates and users alike, raising questions about internet freedom, access to information, and the future of social media use in Nepal.