Nepal’s youth-led protests against social media restrictions and widespread corruption triggered large-scale demonstrations and curfew in Kathmandu.

Thousands of young Nepalis have poured onto the streets of Kathmandu after the government imposed a sweeping ban on 26 major social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, X and WhatsApp. What began as an outcry over digital restrictions has escalated into the largest youth-led uprising the country has seen in years,

The unrest followed the government’s decision last week to block access to 26 platforms, including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube and WhatsApp, after what the government claims to be the companies’ failure to register in Nepal and accept official oversight.