Judicial Intervention to Ensure Undisturbed Internet Access
The High Court Patan issued a short-term interlocutory order on February 15 to prevent the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) from cutting internet service wires, which could have disrupted internet access for customers across the country. The order was issued on a petition by the Internet Service Providers Association Nepal (ISPAN) against the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Nepal Electricity Authority, and others.
Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) had previously warned that cutting internet service was a human rights violation, and ISPAN had demanded high-level government intervention in the case. The court has ordered both parties to appear before the court on February 28 for further discussion.
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NTA investigating on NT Postpaid service after recent random balance deduction issue
Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA), the regulator for telecommunication services in Nepal, has announced an investigation into the repeated network issues of Nepal Telecom (NT). The decision came after numerous complaints from NT’s postpaid mobile users who experienced random balance deductions on 15th and 16th February.
Over 60,000 postpaid customers reported losing their balance or experiencing problems with their phone service. NT’s customers shared their grievances on social media, highlighting issues such as low balances, unexpected charges, and barring of services citing no balance.
The NTA has instructed NT to provide a clarification within 24 hours regarding the balance deductions of postpaid customers. Additionally, a 5-member task force has been formed by NTA to investigate the recurring network issues.
New Bylaw Issued to assure Quality of Internet and Telecom
The Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) has passed a new Bylaw on Telecom Service Quality 2079, which requires telecom service providers to compensate their customers for poor internet and telecom services. Under this regulation, customers have the right to demand compensation if the service provider fails to provide quality service for a specified duration.
Under the new bylaw, customers of 2G, 3G, and 4G services in Nepal are guaranteed a minimum standard download speed. For both 3G and 4G, the threshold of data drop should be less than 2 percent. The bylaw also allows data and voice pack subscribers to demand compensation if they are unable to use the service due to a network outage. Furthermore, the NTA has stated that it will withdraw the license of mobile and telecom service providers who fail to meet the specified quality of service standards.
16 Digital Payment Services at Fault: NRB Report
According to the “Payment System Oversight Report 2021/22” released by the Nepal Rastra Bank, potential risks are found in 16 payment providers in Nepal. The report revealed that 5 payment system operators and 11 payment service providers were found to have conducted business activities that were in violation of the policy guidelines set by Nepal Rastra Bank. The report highlighted that there are risks associated with payment service providers such as eSewa Pvt Ltd, Cellcom, Pay Nep, IME Digital Solution (IME Pay), CG Pay, Smart Card, QPay, and e-Net.
It’s concerning to hear that many payment providers in Nepal are not complying with policy guidelines. This puts users’ financial data and property at risk. DRN urges Nepal Rastra Bank and other concerned to take appropriate measures to ensure that these providers comply with the guidelines to protect the security of users’ financial information.
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Vulnerability of Nepal’s cyber regime
Nepal’s cyber vulnerability is evident in the recent report by Group-IB Threat Intelligence team, which uncovered a spear phishing campaign carried out by the APT Sidewinder from June to November 2021. The new threat report details how SideWinder, also known as Rattlesnake, Hardcore Nationalist (HN2), and T-APT4, attempted to target dozens of government organizations in the Asia-Pacific region, including Nepal Government Ministries, Security Agency, and Telecom, over a period of 6 months. The Sidewinder APT group has been active in Nepal since 2016 and has used spear phishing as their primary cyber espionage attack technique. This highlights the need for increased cybersecurity measures in Nepal, particularly for government organizations and critical infrastructure. It also underscores the importance of ongoing efforts to educate individuals and organizations on cyber threats and how to mitigate them.
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DRN held its third AGM
Digital Rights Nepal held its third Annual General Meeting (AGM) on February 12, 2023 and appointed a new executive team to lead the organization. The new team members are Tanka Raj Aryal (President), Rukumanee Maharjan (Vice-President), Bhola Nath Dhungana (General Secretary), and Devendra Neupane (Treasurer). Additionally, Irshad Ansari, Sabita Thapa, Ramesh Kumar Pudasaini, JB Biswokarma, and Rabina Shrestha were elected as members. With the appointment of the new leadership, Digital Rights Nepal is anticipated to continue its important work of advocating for digital rights and freedoms in the country.
The organization expressed its appreciation to the founding executive team, led by Advocate Santosh Sigdel, for their hard work and dedication in establishing DRN as a significant player in the digital rights field in Nepal. The new executive team is determined to build on the accomplishments of its predecessors and to continue promoting digital rights and freedoms in Nepal.
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Interaction with CSOs on Data Management Policy Package
DRN organized an interaction program on Data Management Policy Package with civil society members of Janakpurdham Sub-metropolitan City in collaboration with The Asia Foundation. The program aimed to assess the context and receive feedback on Data Management Policy, Data Management Guidelines, and Evidence-Based Policy Formulation Guidelines (Policy Package) to ensure the successful implementation of Integrated Policy Intervention. The program was productive to obtain comments and input for effective implementation of policy package in Janakpurdham.
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Opportunities
The Accountability Lab is organizing its second HackCorruption event, which aims to identify and assist talented individuals from the civic tech, CSO, and activist spheres, to develop creative solutions to combat corruption. The South Asia regional hackathon is scheduled to take place in Kathmandu, Nepal, from April 27 to April 30, where fifty individuals from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan will collaborate in teams of five for three days.
The five teams with the most promising ideas will receive additional financial support of up to $10,000, mentoring, and ongoing training to help them develop their ideas. They will also attend a three-day intensive boot camp in Kathmandu in June.
To apply: https://hackcorruption.org/
For more info: https://accountlab.typeform.com/hacknepal |
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Job Opportunity
EngageMedia is currently seeking a Digital Rights Project Assistant to join their team. The role involves providing support for the implementation of digital rights initiatives across the Asia-Pacific region. Working closely with project leads, the PA will be responsible for coordinating logistics, managing communications and outreach, and monitoring and reporting on project progress. The position is full-time and open to candidates based in South or Southeast Asia.
Applications for this position will be accepted until 23:59 UTC+7 (Bangkok time) on Sunday, March 5, 2023.
To apply : https://engagemedia.org/job/digital-rights-project-assistant/ |
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Digital Rights Weekly is a week-based update on Digital Rights and ICT issues, that happened throughout the week, compiled and analyzed from the digital rights perspective by Digital Rights Nepal (DRN). DRN is a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to the protection and promotion of digital rights, including the right to online freedom of expression and association, online privacy, access to information, and related issues such as internet governance, cyber laws/policies, and cyber securities in Nepal.
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