Online Voter Registration Surges Amidst Challenges Nepal’s transition toward digital voter registration, enabled through the integration of the national identity card system, has generated an unprecedented level of public interest. With citizens now able to register online without visiting election offices for biometric verification, the system has seen a dramatic rise in users. However, this surge in traffic has also exposed the Election Commission’s limited server capacity, leading to repeated website glitches and preventing many from completing their registration smoothly, and cybersecurity challenges. The growing enthusiasm for online registration has resulted in a significant increase in new voters. As of 16 November, a total of 527,637 new voters have been added to the voter list. Of these, 302,062 citizens registered by visiting election offices, while 225,575 citizens registered through the national identity card system alone. Remarkably, the national ID–based registration feature was introduced only on 13 November, and within four days 225,575 new voters had successfully registered their names. Cybersecurity and data protection are major challenges observed in this process. Controversy emerged when a hacker group calling itself Nepali for Nepal claimed to have gained unauthorized access to the Election Commission’s website and deleted around 650 pages of voter information. The Election Commission, however, has categorically denied these allegations, stating that the claims are false and misleading. In an official notice, the Commission assured the public that no unauthorized access had occurred, that the voter list information system remains fully secure, and that its IT experts continuouslymonitor and assess system vulnerabilities. As Nepal continues to digitalize key aspects of its electoral system, ensuring secure, user-friendly, and resilient digital platforms will be essential to maintaining public trust and supporting democratic participation. | | | ITU Highlights Persistent Global Digital Divide New data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reveals that while internet connections continue to rise, significant digital divides remain in terms of speed, reliability, affordability, and digital skills. According 2025 report, nearly 6 billion people or around three-quarters of the global population will be online by 2025, up from 5.8 billion in 2024. Meanwhile, the number of people offline is expected to decline slightly, from 2.3 billion to 2.2 billion. The report shows that digital inequality remains wide, with internet use far higher in high-income countries than in low-income ones, and persistent gender and urban-rural gaps. Connectivity quality is uneven as well: 5G access is concentrated in wealthy countries, while most low- and middle-income nations rely on slower networks and consume far less data. Affordability and limited digital skills further hinder meaningful access. As the ITU notes, today’s digital divide is defined not just by who is online, but by the speed, reliability, affordability, and skills that shape how people can use digital technologies. Nepal Introduces PAN Registration Through NID
Nepal has launched a new system allowing individuals to obtain a Permanent Account Number (PAN) by independently linking it with their national identity card. Finance Minister Rameshwar Khanal unveiled the service on 17 November, coinciding with National Tax Day. Starting the same day, natural persons earning up to NPR 4 million and operating as sole employers can also access an online tax clearance certificate with a QR code. During the launch, the Finance Ministry Secretary and Revenue Secretary stressed the need to curb revenue leakage and enhance digital efficiency. Former IGP Falls Victim to WhatsApp Scam
Former Armed Police Force IGP Santakumar Basnet became a victim of a WhatsApp hacking scam after an unknown caller, posing as a Rotary Club member, tricked him into clicking a malicious link. His account was hijacked, and scammers sent messages to his contacts requesting money. Basnet realized the hack when friends alerted him, filed a complaint with the Nepal Police Cyber Bureau, and secured his email and Apple ID; his WhatsApp account was later restored.
The Cyber Bureau noted that such social-engineering scams increasingly target high-ranking officials, using personal information to gain trust and steal verification codes. SP Deepkaraj Awasthi advised enabling two-step verification on WhatsApp to prevent unauthorized access.
Meanwhile, the District Police Office Kathmandu issued a seven-point advisory to prevent online fraud. Citizens are urged to verify sellers before online payments, be cautious of video-call blackmail scams, and confirm financial requests from friends or relatives. The notice also warns against clicking unknown links, sharing OTP codes, displaying mobile screens, posting sensitive information online, or sharing passwords, aiming to raise awareness and enhance vigilance against online scams. Investigation Committee Submits Report on Nepal Telecom Billing System Purchase
The investigation committee reviewing Nepal Telecom’s billing system purchase has submitted its report to Minister Jagadish Kharel. The minister clarified that the report is for internal reference and does not affect the ongoing purchase process, as Nepal Telecom remains independent in its decision-making. Former Secretary Maniram Gelal, committee convener, noted that the report includes suggestions on enhancing competitiveness and protecting customer data, and will not impact confidential bid evaluations. Cloudflare Outage Disrupts Major Services
A technical outage at web infrastructure firm Cloudflare caused widespread internet disruptions on 18 November, affecting sites of Nepal as well. The outage began around 06:00 EST, with thousands of reports on DownDetector. Cloudflare confirmed it was investigating an issue impacting multiple customers. By 08:09 EST, the company said it had identified the problem and was working on a fix. Services gradually recovered, though some sites continued to experience higher-than-normal error rates. Cloudflare later stated the outage was caused by a configuration file handling threat traffic that grew too large, crashing its software system. The company emphasized that there was no evidence of an attack or malicious activity. Government Prohibits Online Gambling in Casinos
The Government of Nepal has issued a 12-point directive to strengthen casino regulation, with a key focus on prohibiting online and internet-based gambling. The Department of Tourism emphasized that all casinos must comply with the Anti-Money Laundering Act and related measures to prevent financing of terrorism. Operators are strictly barred from conducting games online or through any internet-based platforms. The directive also requires casinos to maintain proper customer identification and biometric records, submit regular reports, and preserve CCTV footage for at least six months. | | | 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. | | | | |
