Nepa’s Crackdown on Online Abuse of Flood Survivors
Yesterday the government announced a new initiative to tackle the wave of hostility that has erupted on social networks targeting families still mourning victims of the July flood crisis.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah said in a Facebook post that authorities would show "no leniency" to anyone who "belittle" those suffering. The promise means that offending users could face up to five years in prison, a fine of up to 100,000 rupees, or both under Nepal’s Electronic Transactions Act.
Social media users have posted pleas for missing relatives, but many also received harsh, sometimes violent, remarks. One woman who had campaigned for a missing brother noted that the post that criticized slow search efforts drew a pile of nasty comments. She later expressed that such harassment intensified her family’s pain.
Another viral clip shows a woman beg for the government to show her her missing husband’s body or to prove the effort had not been sufficient. A cruel comment urged the woman to “jump into the river” while another said, “not everything happens just by you putting the blame on the government.”
The police have begun tracing the phone numbers and addresses tied to the comments, and a committee of ten officials is set to investigate the issue. The committee will also determine whether the remarks violate law and how best to protect victims from digital hate.
Digital‑rights advocate Dovan Rai of Body & Data warned that many of the abusive posts may come from “rage baiting” users who deliberately provoke outrage to increase traffic. Other accusations target state supporters who may amplify commission to silence dissent. Rai said that extremism on the platform is driving a toxic, polarized dialogue that makes recovery from the floods difficult for survivors.
The government’s actions come amid a broader push to ensure safe online spaces for all Nepalese, underscoring that neglect or low‑quality crisis response can be compounded by hostile social media commentary.
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