Digital Rights Nepal releases report on use and impact of digital spaces in Nepal’s election 2026

KATHMANDU: Digital Rights Nepal has released a research report analyzing the use and impact of digital platforms during Nepal’s House of Representatives Election 2026.

The report titled “Use and Impact of Digital Spaces in Nepal’s Election 2026” examines how digital technologies were used during the election, along with the opportunities and challenges created by increasing digital engagement.

The study focuses on issues including social media use, artificial intelligence (AI), voter data management, information integrity, legal and policy frameworks, and accountability of digital platforms.

The report also analyzes the role of various stakeholders, including the Election Commission of Nepal, political parties and candidates, government agencies, National Human Rights Commission, Press Council Nepal, media organizations, fact-checking institutions, influencers, civil society organizations and voters during the election period.

Digital Rights Nepal prepared the report based on interviews with key stakeholders, discussions with experts and groups, legal and policy reviews, and monitoring of digital platforms during the election.

According to the report, the use of digital platforms has increased significantly in Nepal’s electoral process. Digital platforms have helped expand citizen participation and improve access to information, but they have also created several challenges.

The report highlights risks such as AI-generated misinformation, voter data privacy concerns, targeted online political campaigns, online gender-based violence, lack of transparency in digital advertising and weak accountability mechanisms of social media platforms.

The organization has concluded that immediate legal and institutional reforms are required to make future elections more transparent, secure and rights-friendly.

The report has recommended that the Election Commission develop clear guidelines on digital election integrity, digital campaigns and the use of AI during elections. It has also suggested improving transparency in political advertisements, strengthening cybersecurity measures for election infrastructure and establishing a digital election monitoring mechanism.

Similarly, the report has urged the government to introduce specialized laws on personal data protection and update legal provisions related to digital campaigns, AI, political advertising and platform accountability.

It has also recommended establishing coordination mechanisms among government agencies to manage digital election risks and conducting nationwide digital, media and election literacy programs.

The report has called on social media platforms to increase transparency in political advertisements, publish regular reports on content moderation and improve their ability to identify misinformation campaigns and AI-generated manipulated content in Nepali languages.

Political parties and candidates have been advised to adopt ethical digital campaign practices, ensure transparency in digital campaign spending and provide training to campaign teams on election laws and responsible digital conduct.

Digital Rights Nepal said the report aims to strengthen evidence-based discussions on the relationship between digital technology and democratic processes and contribute to policy reforms for more transparent and inclusive elections in Nepal.