Digital Rights Weekly/Year 2/Issue 42

Oct 20, 2023

IMF Recommends Safeguarding Borrower Privacy in Nepal’s Credit Information System
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has proposed measures to protect borrower privacy in Nepal’s Credit Information Center, emphasizing that the list of blacklisted borrowers should not be publicly accessible. This recommendation is outlined in the IMF’s ‘Financial Sector Stability Review’ report on Nepal, which is based on data from June of the same year.
The report underscores that while the Nepal Rastra Bank Act allows for blacklisting, such information should not be readily available to the public. The IMF report argues that disclosing this data can intrude on customer privacy unnecessarily and lead to potential misuse of the information. The IMF also expresses concern that some individuals have remained on the blacklist for an extended period.
The IMF acknowledges that credit information systems typically exist to serve specific authorized purposes, such as loan applications or employment verification. However, the IMF suggests that the blacklist should not be made accessible to the general public, as borrowers may face difficulties in repaying loans due to job loss, health issues, or other circumstances, and publicizing this information could potentially result in social stigma and hinder access to public services.
It’s worth noting that the Nepal Rastra Bank recently issued instructions to refrain from publishing the photographs of blacklisted individuals in newspapers due to loan non-repayment, further emphasizing the importance of safeguarding borrower privacy.

Privacy Concerns Raised Over Public Disclosure of Passports by TIA Customs Office
On 18 October, the Tribhuvan Airport Customs Office sparked controversy by sharing personal details of passengers who had left their passports behind at the airport. The office made the information public via a Facebook post, which listed the names and details of these forgetful travelers. Strikingly, the post contained unblurred photos that revealed sensitive personal information.
In response to this breach of privacy, DRN Co-founder Advocate Santosh Sigdel expressed concerns, stating, “While the office’s intention may have been to assist citizens, there is a very high risk of the disclosed information being misused.” According to Sigdel, government agencies are equally responsible for upholding the Right to Personal Privacy and safeguarding citizens’ data. He urged that stringent measures be taken to prevent any misuse of citizens’ rights and data while maintaining the spirit of assisting them.
Subsequently, the controversial Facebook post was deleted.

QR Payments Surpasses Digital Wallets in Nepal’s Digital Payment Landscape
Recent trends in digital payments in Nepal have shown a noteworthy shift, with QR payments emerging as the preferred choice over digital wallets. According to a report from the Nepal Rastra Bank, QR payment transactions have been on the rise, outpacing digital wallet usage.
The report reveals that in August 2080, QR payments in the country exceeded Rs 30.56 billion, while digital wallet transactions amounted to only Rs 21.09 billion during the same period. This marks a significant milestone, as exactly a year ago in Asoj 2079, QR payments first overtook digital wallet transactions. Since that point, QR transactions have consistently outperformed digital wallet transactions in all months except for Kartik and Poush.

X Takes Action Against Hamas-Affiliated Accounts to Curb Terrorist Content
Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has removed “hundreds” of accounts affiliated with the Palestinian terror group Hamas as part of its efforts to combat the spread of “terrorist content” online. X CEO Linda Yaccarino stated that these account removals are in line with the platform’s “Violent and Hateful Entities Policy,” which is designed to mitigate the dissemination of terrorist content. The platform has also taken action against posts containing graphic material, violent content, and hate speech.

Police Clamp Down on Unauthorized Offline Ride-Hailing Services in Kathmandu
In an effort to address security concerns and reported involvement in criminal activities, the Kathmandu District Police Range took 86 offline drivers associated with ride-hailing apps Pathao and inDrive into custody in various locations throughout Kathmandu on Monday. The police issued a notice citing recent instances of offline drivers’ involvement in criminal activities posing an increased risk to passengers, and urged the public to refrain from using offline rides.

Digital Media Society Formed to Enhance Reliability and Professionalism
In the rapidly evolving landscape of Nepali journalism, Digital Media Society, an umbrella organization of digital media has been formed with the aim to promote responsible, reliable, and professional digital media news. The board of the Society is led by Pratik Pradhan, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, Barhakhari Media Pvt Ltd.

DRN Chair Aryal Receives Right to Information National Award 2080
Mr. Tanka Raj Aryal, Chairperson, Digital Rights Nepal, has been awarded with the prestigious Right to Information National Award 2080 in acknowledgment of his extensive contributions to the realms of right to information and good governance. The Information and Human Rights Research Centre (IHRC) Nepalgunj bestowed this esteemed National Award upon Aryal during its 11th Annual General Meeting (AGM).

DRN Facilitated Discussion on Mis/disinformation and Hate Speech
On 20 October 2023 Digital Rights Nepal facilitated a discussion with the recipients of ‘Youth in Strengthening Democracy Fellowship’ at Accountability Lab Nepal. The session led by Ms. Sadichcha Silwal, Program Officer, DRN, was aimed at promoting inclusive youth participation on combatting misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech. During the session topics including the understanding of mis/disinformation and hate speech, the balance between Freedom of Expression (FoE) and mis/disinformation and hate speech, the significance of fact-checking in countering misinformation and hate speech, and the role of inclusive youth digital literacy in addressing these challenges were covered.

Publication

Future of the Internet Ecosystem
Internews has released its research report titled “The Future of the Internet Ecosystem: Fostering Collaborative Growth for Practitioners.” Over the course of 2022-2023, the Greater Internet Freedom Project carried out an extensive research initiative delving into the digital rights and digital security ecosystem. The primary objective was to identify the requirements and apprehensions of professionals operating within the realm of internet freedom.
Access report at: Publications – Internews Greater Internet Freedom

Happy Bijaya Dashain to you all from DRN team !!!

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.