Nepal blocked 26 major social media platforms on September 4, 2025, leaving millions cut off from their digital lives. While the ban was eventually lifted after massive protests, similar restrictions could happen again. Anywhere, anytime.
Censorship
Privacy
Digital Rights
VPN Super
September 11, 2025
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Table of Contents
What's happening in Nepal?
Nepal blocked 26 major social media platforms on September 4, 2025, leaving millions disconnected from their digital lives. While authorities eventually lifted the ban after massive protests, similar restrictions could happen anywhere, anytime.
“To maintain public order” ahead of large-scale student protests
Censorship method:
DNS blocking + SNI filtering
How the blackout was measured
To understand how people in Nepal responded to the September 4 blackout, VPN app download activity was tracked from two sources.
App telemetry
Connection data from the VPN app in Nepal was monitored during the blackout period. This data showed how quickly users turned to workaround tools once social media platforms were blocked. All data was anonymous and grouped by country only—no personal details or browsing history was collected.
Data was grouped, not tied to individual users
Only country-level connection counts were used
No personal information or browsing activity was collected
Third-party app ranking tools
App store ranking trends from providers like AppFollow and Sensor Tower were also analyzed. These services track which apps are rising or falling in the iOS App Store and Google Play.
When VPNs suddenly enter the Top Free Apps charts, it signals increased demand
Comparing multiple data sources removes unusual results or single-brand patterns
By combining these two approaches, it became possible to measure how quickly Nepal users adapted to the blackout and which tools they used to stay connected.
Impact on daily life: What people in Nepal reported
What was analyzed
Public conversations on Twitter/X and Reddit between September 4 and 9, 2025 were reviewed. Posts mentioned access issues, workarounds, and impacts of Nepal's social media blackout. Personal details were removed, keeping only country-level insights from 100 posts across both platforms.
How posts were grouped
Each post was sorted into themes:
News and information access
Workarounds (VPNs, proxies, DNS)
Messaging and family communication
Safety and protest coordination concerns
Business and freelance disruption
General sentiment (anger, frustration)
Theme
Share of posts
Anonymized quote
News/updates inaccessible
37%
"TikTok is deliberately hiding all the events happening in Nepal from the international audience." — Reddit
Workarounds (VPN/DNS)
33%
"Private DNS, static stopped working. VPN is the only option now." — Reddit
Messaging to family blocked
13%
"How am I supposed to communicate with my aged parents back home? They barely learned WhatsApp after months." — Reddit
Safety/coordination
7%
"Journalists marched under banners like 'Freedom of Expression Is Our Right' and 'Democracy Is Being Hacked.'" — Twitter
Freelance/work disruption
7%
"This single decision made us buy multiple VPN subscriptions. An entire business of 30 people might shut down." — Twitter
General frustration
3%
"This is the end goal. COMPLETE CENSORSHIP." — Reddit
Safeguard your digital privacy and keep your internet connection secure.
"I've been using multiple DNS for days. Instagram comments aren't working, WhatsApp can't send texts. VPN is now essential." — Reddit
"I was on a call with my friend in Australia, and the call suddenly ended. After that, I couldn't text him and messages weren't sent either. VPN isn't working either." — Reddit
"My brother has international clients he can't afford to lose. Vianet internet is in shambles. When we call Support they don't pick up, and the voicemail just says to reset the router hourly." — Reddit
PRIVACY NOTE: Only publicly available posts are analyzed. Private messages, account details, or exact locations are not collected. Quotes are made anonymous and reworded when needed.
Nepal VPN connections explode by over 1,500% as citizens defy social media ban
As the government tried to silence the nation by shutting down social media, citizens responded almost overnight. VPN connections surged by more than 1,500% in a massive act of digital resistance against censorship.
Search interest for "VPN" in Nepal jumped 733% during the social media blackout, peaking on September 6, 2025.
⚠Users should be aware: Using VPNs during blackouts can come with risks. While Nepal has no explicit law against VPN use, your traffic may be monitored.
The Reality Check
When governments flip the switch on your favorite apps, you're suddenly:
Cut off from family and friends abroad
Unable to run your business or side hustle
Missing out on news, entertainment, and connection
Stuck with whatever the government allows
Your internet freedom shouldn't depend on politics.
Your Way Around It: VPN Super Unlimited Proxy
While others panic-downloaded Viber, smart users connected to the world they actually want. Here's how you stay connected, no matter what:
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