Kathmandu, Sept. 5 -- Confusion reigned in Nepal on Thursday after the government moved to shut down all unregistered social media platforms, services that have become deeply embedded in the daily lives of Nepalis-from the young ones to the elderly.

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), following a directive from its line ministry, released a list of 26 platforms to be blocked. Among them are Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, X, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Reddit, Discord, Pinterest, Signal, Threads, WeChat, Quora, Tumblr, Clubhouse, Mastodon, Rumble, VK, Line, IMO, Zalo, Soul, and Hamro Patro.

In response, users on Facebook and X began posting what they described as their "last photos," expressing shock and di...