Digital Rights Weekly/ Year 4 Issue 26

Jun 27, 2025

Contempt of Courts Cases Filed Against Media Outlets
Two separate contempt of court cases have been filed against prominent media outlets in Nepal, raising fresh concerns about press freedom and judicial sensitivity to criticism. In the first case, the Special Court has initiated contempt proceedings against Drishti Weekly publisher Prakash Shrestha over a news article published on June 18. The article, alleges undue influence in judicial proceedings. The court issued a notice summoning Shrestha and has set a bail requirement. Additionally, the Bar Council has been requested to produce a witness for deposition on Sunday, July 15, at 10 AM, and to appoint an amicus curiae for the final hearing.
In a separate case, Himal Media Pvt. Ltd. faces a contempt charge filed by advocate Deepak Khanal at the Supreme Court. The case pertains to two articles—one critiquing the trend of higher courts overturning rape convictions issued by district courts, and another reporting on the controversial acquittal of Krishna Bahadur Giri (Siddha Baba) in a rape case. The court has demanded a written explanation from the publication.

Satire Under Surveillance: Cracks Down on ‘Banana Republic’ Tee
Kathmandu-based apparel brand IDS Wears, operated by YouTube channel In-Depth Story (IDS), has suspended the sale of its satirical “Kera Ganatantra” (Banana Republic) T-shirt following intervention by the Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police. Authorities are reported to claim that the phrase—originally a political term coined in 1904 to criticize corrupt or authoritarian governments—could undermine national unity and dignity.
The company was summoned and asked to halt promotion of the design and issue a public apology. IDS Wears has been reported complying with the order and stopped selling t-shirt. The incident has triggered online debate about artistic freedom and the shrinking space for satire and political commentary in Nepal.

Nepal Delisted from Global Mobile Speed Index Due to Inconsistent Internet Performance
Nepal has been excluded from Ookla’s global mobile broadband speed index since June 2024, following inconsistent test results across networks. The U.S.-based internet speed analytics platform applies a Precision Threshold rule, requiring consistent download speeds within a ±5% range over a rolling three-month period. Due to high discrepancies—particularly among major providers like NTC and Ncell—Nepal failed to meet this threshold. However, the country remains listed in Ookla’s fixed broadband speed index, where it ranked 90th globally in May 2025.

Government Websites Required to Shift to Integrated Management System
The Department of Information Technology (DoIT) has mandated that all government websites currently hosted under the Integrated Data Management Centre (IDMC) must be migrated to the Government Integrated Website Management System (GIWMS) by the end of Asar. This follows a decision made last year by a secretary-level meeting led by the Chief Secretary, requiring all government bodies to adopt the GIWMS platform developed by DoIT.

U.S. Visa Applicants Asked to Make Social Media Public, Raising Privacy Concerns
Students and exchange visitors applying for F, M, or J visas to the United States have been asked to set their social media accounts to ‘public’ to assist in identity verification and admissibility vetting. While this directive aims to enhance transparency in visa processing, it raises significant concerns regarding individuals’ right to privacy and digital autonomy.

Young Man Arrested for Facebook-Based Fraud Near Nepal-India Border
Nepal Police have arrested 20-year-old Kusheshwar Mehta from Sunsari on charges of defrauding Rs 62.75 lakh through Facebook. Mehta allegedly used a fake identity posing as a Thai national and bank manager to deceive a victim into transferring large sums of money. The fraud was carried out using a fake Facebook account under the name “Bhanida Suwan.” Mehta was arrested near the Nepal-India border in Bhantabari and has been handed over to the Cyber Bureau in Kathmandu for further investigation.

U.S. House Bans WhatsApp on Official Devices Over Security and Data Protection Issues
The U.S. House of Representatives has officially banned the use of WhatsApp on all government-issued devices for congressional staff, citing security and data protection concerns. A memo from the House Chief Administrative Officer flagged the app as high-risk, recommending alternatives like Signal and Microsoft Teams.

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.

This publication has been produced with financial support from Norway. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Digital Rights Nepal and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the Government of Norway.