KATHMANDU, Jan 25: Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal has said that law enforcement agencies should not wait for higher-level directives to bring those spreading misinformation on social media under legal action.
A government team led by Minister Aryal said this during a visit to the Nepal Police’s Cyber Bureau office in Bhotahiti.
Home Minister Aryal stresses govt-civil society cooperation to...
Home Minister Aryal carried out an on-site inspection of the bureau and the dilapidated building of the former Kathmandu Police Range at Hanumandhoka.
During the visit, Minister Aryal was briefed by Bureau Chief and Deputy Inspector General Nabindra Aryal on the bureau’s regular and special services. He directed the bureau to intensify monitoring of social media platforms ahead of the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) elections to curb the spread of misleading, baseless, and legally prohibited content.
The home minister stressed that the Cyber Bureau must play a proactive role by independently monitoring and taking immediate legal action against illegal posts, fake news, and unregistered social media operations without waiting for formal instructions. He underlined the need to prevent the misuse of social media that could disrupt social harmony and to ensure a conducive election environment ahead of the March 5 polls.
According to Home Ministry Spokesperson and Joint Secretary Anand Kafle, the minister also instructed the bureau to assess the accuracy and factual basis of posts made by individuals, institutions, and groups, and to initiate legal action against those found spreading false or misleading information.
