Former Minister Claims Social Media Ban During 'Genji Movement' Was Not Personal Impulse

Kathmandu. Former Minister for Communications and Information Technology during the 'Genji Movement,' Prithvi Subba Gurung, stated that the decision to block social media was not due to any personal impulse.

In his testimony to the investigation commission formed to probe the 'Genji Movement,' Gurung stated, 'The decision to block social media was not due to any personal impulse; it was taken as an obligation to comply with the court order, the provisions of the directive, and the decision of the Council of Ministers.'

According to a report sourced from Janastha Weekly, Gurung's statement noted that the issue of social media was not merely a technical question for the government but a serious matter linked to legal, policy, and public interest issues.

Gurung's Statement is as Follows:

Written Statement of Former Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung:

As the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, I believed that the issue of social media was not merely a technical question for the government but a serious matter linked to legal, policy, and public interest. The Government of Nepal had repeatedly published public notices urging social media platforms to register with the ministry, appoint a contact point and liaison person within Nepal, and come under the purview of government regulation. Meanwhile, a mandamus order had been issued by the respected Supreme Court to regulate social media, and the "Directive for Regulating the Use of Social Media, 2080" also mandated registration and the appointment of a contact point. Therefore, the then-government proceeded with the process of regulating social media to implement these legal and policy provisions, and accordingly, necessary steps were taken as per the Council of Ministers' decision dated 2082/05/09.

On the day of Bhadra 23, I was in my office at Singha Durbar and later participated in a meeting with the Honorable Prime Minister. The bill to regulate social media had been prepared even before I became minister, and it was sent to the parliament during my tenure after necessary amendments. Through this bill, arrangements were sought to bring social media platforms under a licensing system, ensuring registration, contact points, grievance redressal, content regulation, user protection, and legal accountability. The main objective was to control digital crime, character assassination, misinformation, and deceptive information, thereby making social media organized and accountable. As the Minister, I consulted with the ministry's secretary, joint secretary, experts from regulatory bodies, and security mechanisms I had contact with, and ultimately, the Council of Ministers' decision was implemented. The decision to block social media was not based on any personal impulse but was taken as an obligation to comply with the court order, the provisions of the directive, and the decision of the Council of Ministers. Platforms like Reddit and Discord were not separately identified and prioritized as high-risk. Following the events of Bhadra 23, I participated in continuous discussions and consultations with the Home Minister and others at the Prime Minister's Office. After analyzing the sequence of events, the process to reopen social media was initiated that very night as per the decision, and this involved the collective decision of the Prime Minister, the Chief Secretary, and others.