Nepal urges Meta and TikTok to remove flood-related misinformation

The government of Nepal has issued an urgent directive to Meta and TikTok to remove graphic imagery, AI-generated videos, fraudulent QR codes, and misinformation following devastating flash floods in the Bhotekoshi river area.

Officials met with local representatives of the social media platforms to demand faster action against content that misleads the public, obstructs relief efforts, or causes distress to victims' families. Bijay Kumar Roy, coordinator of the government’s social media regulation and management task force, emphasized that the government is urging platforms to make their algorithms more proactive in automatically blocking graphic and false content.

The surge in digital misinformation includes old footage being recirculated as current disaster documentation, AI-generated visuals presented as authentic, and fake QR codes used to solicit fraudulent donations. Authorities noted that current platform response times for reported content can take between 24 to 48 hours, prompting the call for more decisive intervention during this emergency.