Nepal, Nov. 1 -- When the Oli government pulled the plug on 26 social media platforms on September 4, it tried to silence a generation. For Gen Z, this was more than a ban; it was a breaking point.

The official reason was to control misinformation and ensure accountability on those platforms. But the intention was to tighten the government's grip on spaces. The proposed Media Council Act and the Social Media Bill would give the state sweeping powers to remove posts and silence criticism in the name of regulation. The Asia Internet Coalition, representing global companies such as Meta, Google, Apple and Amazon, called these directives impractical and inconsistent with international standards. In letters sent in 2023 and 2024, the coalitio...