Many of Nepal’s online media outlets seem to be peddling more misinformation than news. The social media likewise is littered with content that more often divides than it connects people. So it should be great news that the Cabinet has given its go-ahead to a bill to regulate online content. Without some regulation, the government argues, things could soon get out of hand: With communities fighting each other, national sovereignty coming under threat and the society heading towards total anarchy. But that is just one side of the picture. What we have seen in recent times is successive governments trying to stifle free speech in the name of regulation. Look beyond the gloss of ‘safeguarding the society’, and the goal seems to control anti-government narratives. Otherwise, such laws would precede broad consultations with relevant stakeholders in the media and civil society. Those who have seen the bill say some of its provisions will give unelected government bodies great discretion to decide what is appropriate to be posted online. There is as such plenty of room for abuse.

Yet the government seems intent on promulgating it at the earliest. Minister for Information and Communication Prithvi Subba Gurung has been pushing Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to enact it through an ordinance. As he puts it, “It is already too late to regulate online media”. That would be unwise. Yes, there is a lot of noise online, and it is often hard to separate fact from fiction, confusing and frustrating people. This is why judicious regulation of online content is vital. Yet we should always keep in mind that when it comes to regulating free speech, less is more. Once you start nitpicking about what is socially acceptable content and what is not, it can be a slippery slope towards full-blown control. Whatever its other demerits, Nepal today stands tall as the freest country in South Asia where opinions from all political and social shades can be fearlessly voiced. This is something the country should cherish and look to capitalise on. One reason Nepal has not gone the Bangladesh way despite a similar level of public resentment against its political class is that at least Nepali citizens get to freely vent their frustrations. On the other hand, the draconian repression on free speech in Bangladesh had created a pressure cooker of discontent that ultimately exploded.

Even in other parts of South Asia, there has been a steady erosion of free public space in the name of security, religion or social harmony. Nepal must avoid this at all costs. Historically, we have been perhaps the most tolerant society in South Asia, with the kind of religious and sectarian strife seen in other parts of the region rarely seen here. What has certainly increased by leaps and bounds is the online trolling of top political leaders and expressions of scepticism of all things associated with the government. But those in the government, instead of introspecting about why they have become so unpopular, seem rather intent on stifling the medium for the dissemination of their misdeeds and misgovernance. They should realise that often what transpires online is only a symptom of an underlying malady. It would be foolish to try to treat the symptom while ignoring the disease.