Nepal, Sept. 4 -- Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung announced that social media platforms, including Facebook, which ignored government's repeated requests to register, will be blocked starting today. He said that the companies made "big claims" challenging Nepali law and sovereignty, forcing the government to take this drastic step.

Talking to a group of journalists on Thursday, Gurung said, "When we asked them to register, they made claims as if they would not follow Nepal's Constitution and laws. After repeatedly ignoring our requests and diplomatic efforts, we decided to block them."

The government had issued the "Directive to Regulate Use of Social Media, 2080" to implement the Supreme Cour...