Nepal Must Take Data Privacy Seriously: For Its People and Its Future

Nepal is rapidly becoming a digital society. We are paying bills through mobile wallets, accessing government services online, and trusting apps with our money, identity, and personal information. But while our digital lives are expanding, one critical question remains unanswered: who is protecting our data?

Every day, Nepali citizens give away sensitive information—phone numbers, citizenship details, biometric data, financial records, location history. Yet our legal framework is still stuck in the past. Most of our current laws were written long before smartphones, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence became the backbone of modern life.

This gap is dangerous.

When personal data is misused, the damage is real. It can lead to financial fraud, identity theft, social manipulation, online harassment, or political targeting. In Nepal, many victims don't even realize their data has been exploited. And when they do, there are very few legal mechanisms to help them.

Countries around us are waking up to this reality. India has recently strengthened its data protection regime, placing clearer limits on how companies collect and use personal information. Nepal should not stay behind.

The National Interest Dimension

Strong data privacy laws are not just about protecting individuals. They are also about protecting national interest. Today, most of the data generated by Nepali users is stored in servers outside the country, controlled by foreign companies. Without clear regulations, Nepal risks becoming nothing more than a source of raw digital data for global corporations.

But there is also a powerful opportunity here.

By introducing strong, modern data protection laws, Nepal can position itself as an attractive destination for data center investments. Global tech companies look for countries with clear legal frameworks, strong privacy protections, and regulatory stability before setting up critical digital infrastructure. If Nepal gets its privacy laws right, it could attract investments that bring jobs, advanced technology, and stronger digital infrastructure into the country.

Such investments would not only strengthen our economy but also improve national cybersecurity and reduce dependence on foreign data infrastructure.

Data Protection as Social Justice

Data protection is also about social justice. Migrant workers, rural populations, and digitally vulnerable communities are often the most exposed to data exploitation. A good privacy law protects them too, not just tech-savvy urban users.

The Path Forward

Nepal stands at a crossroads. We can either wait for a major data scandal to wake us up, or we can act with foresight. Strong data privacy laws are not a luxury. They are essential for citizens' rights, digital trust, and future economic growth.

In the end, no digital economy can survive without trust. And trust begins with protecting people's data.