Slick AI-generated fakes and deepfakes are overwhelming Nepal’s digital landscape ahead of crucial polls, threatening election integrity in a nation with low digital literacy
KATHMANDU: Nepal’s landmark election has become a digital battleground, overwhelmed by slick AI-generated disinformation.
Experts warn the onslaught of manipulated and fake content threatens to undermine the integrity of Thursday’s vote, the first since deadly social media protests toppled the government.
The September 2025 protests were driven by tech-savvy youth angry at job shortages and flagrant corruption. Now, parties across the political spectrum are aggressively using social media to push agendas and woo young voters, including a surge of first-time registrants.
Deepak Adhikari, editor of the independent NepalCheck team, highlighted the vulnerability of the electorate. “In a country where digital literacy is low, people believe what they see,” he said.
Technology policy researcher Samik Kharel described a “digital battleground”, warning Nepal lacks the expertise to monitor the flood of machine-generated content. “It is even hard for experts to figure out what is real and fake,” Kharel told AFP.
Around 80% of Nepal’s internet traffic flows through social media platforms. DataReportal estimates over 56% of Nepal’s 30 million people are online, including 14.8 million Facebook users and about 4.3 million on Instagram.
Ammaarah Nilafdeen of the US-based Center for the Study of Organized Hate said disinformation remains a top concern. “Nepal… is grappling with the scale of the threat that disinformation poses to society and democracy at large,” she stated.
Last year’s protests erupted after the government moved to regulate social media, briefly banning 26 platforms including Facebook and Instagram. At least 77 people were killed in two days of unrest, parliament was set on fire, and the government of prime minister KP Sharma Oli collapsed.
Activists used the app Discord to suggest an interim leader, with their choice, former chief justice Sushila Karki, later appointed to lead the country to elections. Social media is now playing a key role again in the campaign.
Loyalists of the ousted premier’s Marxist party shared AI-generated images purporting to show a sea of over 500,000 supporters. Analysis by fact-checkers TechPana found the images were created using OpenAI’s ChatGPT, while police said less than 5,000 attended the real event.
Another AI-generated video on TikTok falsely showed Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa urging voters to back a rival party. The platform has since removed the video.
Researcher Nilafdeen noted posts from neighbouring India calling to restore Nepal’s deposed Hindu monarchy have circulated online. She said such “ideological pushes”, amplified by Hindu far-right supporters in India, contrast with domestic demands for stronger democratic institutions.
The Election Commission acknowledges widespread use of hate speech and deepfake content. Commission information officer Suman Ghimire called it “a concerning issue”, with over 600 cases passed to authorities and around 150 handled by police.
In one case, police detained pro-royalist supporter Durga Prasai for social media posts allegedly meant to intimidate voters. The commission can impose fines or bar candidates, but experts say the scale of disinformation outstrips any effective response.
Basanta Basnet, editor-in-chief of Onlinekhabar, said candidates now compete to spread misinformation. His organisation has collaborated with Nepal FactCheck to verify posts, warning that misinformation encourages citizens to make wrong decisions and undermines democracy’s foundation.
