Nepal's government has revoked its ban on major social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and YouTube, just a day after violent clashes between protesters and security forces left 19 people dead and hundreds injured in the capital Kathmandu and other cities.

Cabinet spokesman and Minister of Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung announced the decision early Tuesday, September 9, 2025, following an emergency cabinet meeting.

"We have withdrawn the shutdown of the social media. They are working now," Gurung told Reuters, confirming that access to the 26 blocked platforms had been restored nationwide.

The move came amid escalating unrest dubbed the "Gen Z" protests, driven largely by young adults and students frustrated over the ban, widespread corruption, economic stagnation, and limited opportunities in the Himalayan nation.

The ban, imposed last week on September 4, targeted platforms that failed to register with Nepal's Ministry of Communication and Information Technology by a deadline, with officials citing concerns over misinformation, online fraud, hate speech, and threats to social harmony.

It disrupted daily life for millions—about 90% of Nepal's 30 million people use the internet, relying on these apps for communication, news, business, and connections with relatives abroad. Businesses ground to a halt, tourism suffered, and viral campaigns on still-accessible platforms like TikTok amplified outrage, including exposés on politicians' children flaunting luxuries amid public hardship.

This wasn't Nepal's first such restriction; a nine-month TikTok ban in 2023 was lifted after compliance, and Telegram faced a temporary block in July 2025 over fraud concerns.

Tensions boiled over on Monday when thousands gathered in Kathmandu's New Baneshwor area near Parliament, many in school uniforms, chanting against corruption and the blackout.

Protesters breached barricades and attempted to storm the complex, prompting police to respond with tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, batons, and live ammunition.

Hospital reports confirmed 17 deaths in Kathmandu and two in the eastern city of Itahari, with injuries ranging from over 100 to as many as 400, including dozens of officers.

Authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in Kathmandu and other areas, deploying army units for the first time since the unrest began, though it was briefly lifted before being reinstated Tuesday morning.

The government defended the initial ban as a necessary step for national security and regulating foreign platforms that "disrespected Nepal's sovereignty," with Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli noting X's response as particularly offensive during a cabinet briefing.

Officials have pledged compensation for victims' families and an investigation into the deaths, while Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned on moral grounds amid the chaos.

Gurung urged protesters to end demonstrations now that the ban was lifted, emphasizing the youth's role in pushing for change.