Rakuten Viber, popularly known as Viber, has officially been registered in Nepal as a social media platform, becoming the first social media platform to do so after the government issued the 'Directives on the Operation of Social Networking 2023’.

The directives, passed by the Cabinet on November 9, 2023, makes it mandatory for social media sites like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, YouTube and others to open liaison offices in Nepal. The directives include a 19-point list of prohibited activities for users of these platforms.

According to Netra Prasad Subedi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Viber completed the prescribed registration process as per the new directives. "Viber has been issued a registration for operation in Nepal," he said. "Another social media platform, LinkedIn, has also applied for the registration."

The government introduced these measures due to increasing complaints about the absence of representatives of these platforms in Nepal, making it difficult for authorities to address user concerns or remove objectionable content from the platforms.