KATHMANDU: The government is preparing to invest Rs 1 billion in filtering content on the internet.
Noting that it has a negative impact on society, the government has decided to introduce a system to block such content.
Speaking at an event organized by the Technology Journalists Forum (TJF) on ‘How much content filtering is required for Nepal on the Internet’, NEA director Vijay Kumar Roy said a study was being done on the issue.
“We are currently studying the bandwidth traffic entering Nepal from various ports,” he said. “The plan is to control content on the Internet on the same basis.”
He made it clear that its purpose was not to control the content of an individual or organization. The stakeholders said that it was unclear what the government was trying to do.
Advocate Baburam Aryal said that the issue of controlling internet content will come with every government.
“The government is trying to control more than it uses existing laws,” he said, “This trend is not only present, it is seen in every government.”
According to him, Nepal Telecom Authority has been raising the issue of filtering internet content since 2011. Currently, Nepal has Electronic Commerce Act, Copyright Act, Privacy Act, Criminal Law, Information Technology Bill and various laws related to children. His view is that the government is moving towards more control than it can act according to existing laws and regulations.