YouTube Removes Over 223,000 Videos from Nepal in a Year

YouTube has removed more than 223,000 videos from Nepali channels throughout 2024, citing violations of its Community Guidelines. According to data released by the company, between October and December 2024 alone, 64,264 videos from Nepal were taken down, placing Nepal 21st on the global list of countries with the most video removals during this period.

YouTube regularly assesses content on its platform, removing videos and comments that breach its Community Guidelines. The number of videos removed from Nepal in the October–December 2024 period marks an increase compared to earlier quarters of the year.

From July to September 2024, 56,556 videos were removed, ranking Nepal 27th globally. Similarly, between April and June, 54,006 videos were taken down, and from January to March, 49,559 Nepali videos were deleted. These statistics suggest that as YouTube usage grows in Nepal, so does the prevalence of content violating platform rules.

Globally, India topped the list for video removals in the October–December 2024 period, with 2,929,648 videos removed. India’s vast user base and high content production volume are seen as the primary reasons for this figure. Compared to India, the number of videos removed from Nepal is significantly lower, though this disparity appears natural given differences in population and internet penetration.

In addition to video removals, YouTube has ramped up its efforts to eliminate comments worldwide. During the October–December 2024 period, over 125 million comments were removed globally, targeting content with abusive language, incitement to violence, hate speech, and other rule-breaking material, according to YouTube’s statement.

YouTube has not provided a detailed breakdown of the reasons for removing videos from Nepal. However, under its Community Guidelines, content involving violence, obscenity, misinformation, risks to child safety, and other objectionable material is typically subject to removal. In recent years, Nepal has experienced a sharp rise in the number of YouTube channels and content creation, but non-compliance with platform rules has resulted in a large number of takedowns.

This move by YouTube underscores the need for greater caution among Nepali content creators. Experts recommend full adherence to Community Guidelines and staying informed about platform regulations. They warn that failure to comply could lead not only to the loss of carefully produced videos but also to the potential closure of entire channels.

The Nepal government has also made efforts to request content removals from Google services, particularly YouTube, at various times. According to Google’s Transparency Report, between 2019 and 2024, the Nepal government and police submitted a total of 11 requests to remove content for various reasons, targeting 64 items, primarily YouTube videos.

In comparison, other countries made significantly more requests by June 30, 2024—India’s police submitted 1,235 requests for 3,931 items, and Russia’s Information and Communications Authority made 25,615 requests for 30,248 items.