Nepal’s internet service providers shut down the web nationwide for an hour on Sunday to protest what they said was government high-handedness in arresting operators.
The Internet Service Providers of Nepal (ISPAN) cut off services from 1-2PM and said it would escalate its protests against “the misuse of authority” by the government, which has sent police to arrest the owners of several ISPs, accusing them of harbouring call bypass operations.
ISPAN says it has already complied with the NTA’s request for information on broadband subscribers, but says it can’t be held liable for what its subscribers use their services for. Call bypass costs the NTA billions of rupees in revenue from international calls every year.
“They can’t go after the real crooks, so they are harassing us,” said one internet service provider, “it is arbitrary and it is against freedom of speech and the right to privacy.”
ISPAN says it is not against police action if an ISP is found to be doing something illegal, but said they were being unfairly targeted for the crimes of others by the NTA, Nepal Police, the Home Ministry and the Ministry of Information and Communications.
ISPAN had assured Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) that it was willing to comply with existing laws, and was assured by the Nepal Police that ISPs would not be unduly targeted.
“The police had committed that they would not hold an ISP liable for providing Internet connection to a customer that misuses the service, and we have been fully cooperating with any police investigation by providing all information requested through NTA,” said an ISPAN statement, “but the threat of police action still remains.”
The police reportedly got instructions to arrest the directors and employees of Subisu and Worldlink, two of Nepal’s biggest service providers. Said one operator: "This is looking more and more like a extortion and protection racket by the state against legitimate investors.”