Kathmandu: The National Assembly (NA) unanimously endorsed the proposal seeking consideration on the ‘Social Network Bill, 2081’. Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, tabled the Bill. In response to the queries raised by lawmakers during the deliberation, Minister Gurung stated that there were no unclear words and sentences in the Bill, and if any existed, they could be corrected. He emphasized the rising global issue of cybercrime, highlighting the need to curb it, and mentioned that the Media Council Bill was also introduced to regulate online media. The Minister noted that while the Bill addresses new issues, thorough discussions are necessary to reach a conclusion.
According to National News Agency Nepal, NA members stressed the importance of regulation over control of social networks. Anjan Shakya spoke on international practices and expressed hope that the Bill would help address social network issues. She advocated for regulation rather than control. Ghanashyam Rijal, however, voiced concerns about certain provisions in the Bill, which he argued could infringe on citizens’ freedom of expression and opinion. Suresh Alemagar acknowledged the need for regulation but opposed unnecessary control.
Kiran Babu Shrestha and Beduram Bhusal emphasized that the Bill should not violate freedom of expression. Taraman Swar highlighted the necessity of correcting provisions that contravene other laws. Gopal Bhattarai noted the need to amend provisions that breach free speech. Narayan Dutt Mishra suggested that authentic social media accounts could help reduce fake accounts. Ganga Kumari Belbase argued that education and literacy are more important than control. Madan Kumari Sah (Garima) pointed out the absence of mediation provisions in the Bill, stressing the need for thorough debate.
Tulash Kumari Dahal remarked that the Bill could be forwarded with corrections as it was introduced in parliament. Other members advocating for a human rights-respecting Bill included Yubraj Sharma, Krishna Prasad Adhikari, Sumitra BC, and Bishnu Bahadur Bishwokarma. The Chairman of the National Assembly informed members that proposals for amendments to the Bill could be registered in the bill section. The NA is scheduled to reconvene on Friday.