Look at Nepal: Supreme Court cites Gen Z protests while hearing plea to ban porn

The Supreme Court on Monday referred to the recent massive Gen Z protests in Nepal while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a national policy to curb pornography viewing.

As the top court took up the matter, Chief Justice BR Gavai remarked that social media had been banned in Nepal and said, “Look at what happened there. What was the result? Everyone has seen it.”

The Gen Z protest in Nepal, which peaked in September 2025, was a massive youth-led uprising driven by deep-seated anger over corruption, nepotism and the government's failure to address economic hardship and youth unemployment. The immediate trigger, however, was a sweeping government ban on 26 major social media platforms.

The protests rapidly turned violent in Kathmandu and other cities, leading to a political crisis that resulted in the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and the formation of an interim government after over 70 people were killed in clashes.

The top court seemed to suggest that Nepal’s experience serves as a stark reminder of how restrictions on digital access can trigger major political and social unrest.

The PIL seeks directions to formulate a national policy and draft an action plan to curb the viewing of pornography, particularly among minors, and to prohibit the watching of pornographic material in any form in public places.

The petition contends that the government has the authority under existing laws to block public access to any information through computer resources but has failed to effectively address the issue of pornography consumption.

The bench adjourned the hearing and directed that the matter be listed after four weeks. The court will next hear the plea in December, though the term of outgoing Chief Justice Gavai is set to retire on November 23.

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