The Nepalese government on Thursday decided to lift the nation’s ban on the social media platform TikTok, according to local media.

Local sources said Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, who came into office in July while calling for all social networking sites to be treated equally, led the decision during a cabinet meeting.

The ban on TikTok was issued last November by the previous government, which was led by former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (also known by the alias “Prachanda”). The government claimed the platform spread negativity in society and disturbed social harmony, with the ban implemented amid the tide of Western countries banning Chinese technologies. On November 27, 2023, the government also issued a Directive for Managing the Use of Social Networks, requiring social media companies to register in Nepal and establish a point of contact in the country.

The TikTok ban triggered mass criticism against the government as well as a wave of filings with the Supreme Court of Nepal, asking the court to lift the ban on the basis that the government-imposed ban was unconstitutional due to its impediment to the freedom of expression and the right to communication and information. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court refused to cease the implementation of the government-imposed ban in a preliminary hearing held earlier this year.

TikTok is also facing bans or restrictions in several other jurisdictions, including the US, Canada, the EU, New Zealand and Australia. In April 2024, US President Joe Biden signed a bill forcing TikTok to be separated from its Chinese parent company ByteDance within nine months, potentially giving rise to a nationwide ban if ByteDance refuses to sell.