Nepal urges Meta and TikTok to remove AI-generated flood content
Following devastating flash floods in Nepal on 26 August 2026, the government urged Meta and TikTok to remove AI-generated imagery, recycled footage, and fraudulent donation schemes that spread on both platforms. Officials met with platform representatives and requested faster content moderation and improved algorithms to automatically detect and block such harmful content.
What happened
Flash floods and landslides struck northern and central Nepal on 26 August 2026, affecting areas along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers. Following the disaster, AI-generated images and videos depicting graphic scenes, as well as old footage reposted as current events, circulated widely on Meta and TikTok platforms. Fraudulent QR codes soliciting donations for flood victims also appeared on social media.
Reported impact
The Government of Nepal raised concerns that the false content could mislead the public, hinder relief operations, and cause additional distress to families of victims. Officials worried that fraudulent donation schemes exploited public compassion and diverted resources intended for disaster relief.
Index analysis
On 28 August 2026, Bijay Kumar Roy, coordinator of Nepal's government task force for regulation and management of social media and Director of the Nepal Telecommunications Authority, met with representatives from Meta and TikTok based in Nepal to request faster removal of problematic content. Roy stated that platforms currently require 24 to 48 hours to respond to reported uploads, which the government views as too slow.
Governance controls
Meta and TikTok appointed dedicated representatives in Nepal to allow direct reporting of problematic posts by government officials. Roy urged both platforms to proactively optimize their algorithms to automatically block violent content and false information upon upload. The government requested that both companies immediately remove links to problematic content once flagged.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.