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🇳🇵 Nepal /Disasters & Emergencies

Nepal asks Meta, TikTok to remove flood-related graphic content, misinformation

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The Nepali government has urged Meta and TikTok to promptly remove graphic images, AI-generated videos, and misleading posts related to the recent Bhotekoshi floods.
  • Officials met with platform representatives to expedite content removal, citing concerns that misinformation could hinder relief efforts and distress victims' families.
  • The government also requested proactive algorithms to automatically block harmful content and a significant reduction in the platforms' response time for flagged posts.

Nepal's government is demanding immediate action from social media giants Meta and TikTok to curb the spread of harmful content following the devastating Bhotekoshi floods. Officials met with platform representatives on Friday to press for faster removal of graphic images, AI-generated videos, fraudulent QR codes, and misleading posts that are circulating online.

The primary concerns are that such content could mislead the public, impede vital relief operations, and cause further anguish to families affected by the disaster. Bijay Kumar Roy, coordinator of the government's social media regulation task force, emphasized the need for direct coordination with platform providers, as internet service providers can only block entire web domains.

Since Internet Service Providers can only block entire web domains, direct co-ordination with platform providers was essential.

— Bijay Kumar RoyCoordinator of the social media regulation and management task force, explaining the need to work directly with social media companies.

Authorities are particularly worried about old videos being recirculated as current footage, AI-synthesized content presented as real, and scam QR codes soliciting donations. The government has urged TikTok and Meta to enhance their algorithms to proactively block graphic and false content as soon as it is posted. Currently, platforms take 24 to 48 hours to act on reported posts, a delay that allows distressing material to spread widely.

To address these issues, the government has established a multi-agency team, including representatives from the Ministry of Communication and Information, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), and the Ministry of Home Affairs. The NTA is handling technical coordination, while Nepal Police are identifying individuals involved in creating or spreading malicious content. The communication ministry has also appealed to media outlets and social media users to avoid sharing distressing material.

The government has urged TikTok and Meta to make their algorithms proactive so that graphic and false content is automatically blocked as soon as it is posted.

— Bijay Kumar RoyExplaining the government's request to the social media platforms.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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