[Proposed] Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024 ●​ Aims to create regulatory uniformity across traditional broadcasting and digital streaming services, requiring licenses and establishing content evaluation committees. ●​ Concerns include unclear implementation, over-compliance risks, and potential censorship. [Proposed] Digital Competition Bill, 2024 ●​ Inspired by the EU’s Digital Market Act, the statute introduces an ex-post intervention framework, where the Competition Commission acts after anti-competitive conduct occurs. ●​ Fails to clarify vague terminology such as “national security” or “public interest” within the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. ●​ Raises concerns about broad discretionary powers for government agencies. [Proposed] Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 Nepal Having held its first election as a republic in 2017, Nepal has struggled to keep pace with the evolving challenges of the digital age. In its early stages, its tech policy ecosystem is characterized by low internet penetration, inadequate telecommunications infrastructure, and a stark digital equity gap (Lamichhane, 2022). As a result, the country lags behind the rest of the region in recognizing digital rights and integrating digital inclusion. A particularly critical gap in Nepal’s digital governance is its inadequate legal recognition of online harms. Critical issues such as gender-based violence, disinformation, hate speech, and cybercrime continue to be governed by outdated legislation, most notably the Electronic Transactions Act of 2008 (EngageMedia, 2023). Compensation mechanisms remain antiquated. Instead of assessing harm based on its gravity and context, the current framework categorizes offenses by the medium in which they take place, placing greater emphasis on offline harms. Consequently, acts of digital violence often receive disproportionately lower penalties and reparations compared to similar offenses committed offline. This reliance on obsolete laws has reinforced inequities, as their broad provisions, lack of specificity, and technical shortcomings impede effective enforcement and meaningful accountability. More recently, the government has embraced a form of tech-driven nationalism, promoting state-led digital 13