The Government of Nepal has officially ordered a ban on the messaging app Telegram, citing a surge in online fraud and alleged involvement in money laundering. On Friday evening, the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) directed all internet and telecom service providers to block access to Telegram with immediate effect.

In a brief but stern notice, the NTA stated:

“As the number of online frauds through the Telegram app operating in Nepal is continuously increasing, and it has been understood that there is involvement in serious crimes such as money laundering, all relevant telecommunication service providers have been directed to immediately block/close access to the Telegram app.”

The regulator, however, did not provide details on the number of fraud cases or the extent of money laundering activities linked to the app.

This move puts Nepal alongside Vietnam, which banned Telegram in May, citing concerns over the platform spreading “poisonous information,” “antistate content,” and involvement in “reactionary activities.”

Telegram has previously come under scrutiny in Nepal, especially after the F1 Soft cyberattack, where law enforcement discovered that attackers used Telegram for coordination. Since then, the app has faced heightened monitoring from authorities.

Despite its relatively small population of under 30 million, Nepal has seen significant internet adoption, with 16.5 million users and an internet penetration rate of 55.8% as of early 2025.

Globally, Telegram, with nearly 1 billion users, is known for its privacy features, encrypted chats, and file-sharing capabilities. However, it has also faced criticism and legal actions over misuse. Most notably, its Russian-born founder Pavel Durov was detained in France and charged for failing to curb extremist content on the platform. He remains in France under legal restrictions.

Telegram’s hallmark features—including cloud-based messaging, end-to-end encrypted chats, and the ability to share large files—have made it popular but also controversial, particularly for its role in unregulated communication.