In my previous post, I wrote about how social media algorithms increasingly reward outrage over substance. How the loudest, angriest voices are often amplified while thoughtful discourse is buried. That dynamic has only intensified.
Today, comment sections feel less like spaces for dialogue and more like arenas of hostility, filled with abuse, personal attacks, and language so toxic that many ordinary users hesitate to even scroll through them.
Behind anonymous or fake accounts, individuals act with a sense of impunity, convinced they are beyond the reach of the law. In many cases, that perception isn’t entirely wrong. Enforcement in Nepal has been sporadic, with only a handful of visible actions taken against online misconduct.
But this illusion of untouchability collapses the moment one steps beyond Nepal’s borders.
Recent reports highlight a troubling pattern: Nepali citizens in countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait facing detention or legal action for their online behavior. Actions that might seem trivial: liking a post, sharing a video, posting commentary, or even sending a private message can fall afoul of strict cyber and national security laws in these countries. Content related to sensitive issues, such as military activity, explosions, political dissent, or even misleading AI-generated media during times of conflict, is often treated as a serious offense.
The gap here is not just legal, it is educational and cultural. Many Nepalis abroad remain unaware that what is tolerated back home may be illegal elsewhere. The global nature of social media creates a false sense of uniformity, as if one set of norms applies everywhere. It does not. Each country brings its own legal framework, sensitivities, and thresholds for what constitutes a crime in the digital space.
Compounding this is the growing “viral culture”. The urge to gain attention, visibility, and validation online, often without considering consequences. In chasing likes and shares, some forget the very purpose that took them abroad in the first place: to work, support families, and build a more secure future. The cost of that forgetfulness can be severe: hefty fines, long prison sentences, job loss, and eventual deportation.
What is more concerning is that this pattern persists despite repeated incidents. It suggests a deeper issue: a collective gap in digital literacy. We are not adequately educating ourselves or others about digital rights, responsibilities, privacy, misinformation, and, critically, country-specific cyber laws. The problem is not just about individual mistakes; it reflects a systemic failure to adapt to an increasingly interconnected and regulated digital world.
If there is one takeaway, it is this: the internet may feel borderless, but the law is not.