June 25, 2025
THIMPHU – The National Assembly (NA) has called for a nationwide zero-tolerance policy against the spread of pornographic, violent, and morally harmful content on digital platforms.
The move follows growing concerns about the negative impact of such content on the country’s youth and social fabric amid the near-universal penetration of mobile technology.
With 98.6 percent mobile phone usage in Bhutan, the exposure to explicit and unethical online material has become a pressing national issue, posing a threat to the country’s cultural values, psychological well-being, and social cohesion.
Raising the issue during the ongoing session of Parliament, Member of Parliament (MP) for Lamgong-Wangchang, Sonam Tashi, tabled a motion calling for immediate action to curb the spread of harmful digital content. He urged the House to adopt a firm and coordinated enforcement approach, citing the proliferation of explicit media as a “national emergency”.
“With advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) accelerating the production and spread of such content, the threat to Bhutan’s youth and social values has reached a critical level,” MP Sonam Tashi said. “Current laws and monitoring systems are insufficient to address the scale and sophistication of this digital threat.”
He warned that failure to act could irreversibly damage Bhutan’s cultural identity and moral foundation, and called for a unified political response.
The MP proposed five key recommendations: Immediate government enforcement of all existing laws and regulations against the distribution and consumption of pornographic, violent, and unethical digital content; establishment of an autonomous, well-funded, and technically equipped Content Monitoring and Enforcement Division under the Bhutan Information and Media Authority (BICMA); a nationwide digital ethics and compliance awareness campaign led jointly by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Skills Development; an institutional assessment of BICMA’s capacity by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment, including potential amendments to the Bhutan Information, Communications and Media Act 2018 to enhance BICMA’s autonomy and enforcement powers, and greater vigilance and coordinated action among all relevant government agencies to prevent digital platforms from being misused to promote regionalism, hate speech, or content that undermines national unity.
All 41 members present in the House supported the motion. The government has been directed to submit an action-taken report within six months.
Rising threat from social media and online crimes
Home Minister Tshering acknowledged the wide-ranging problems arising from social media misuse and reiterated the urgency of the issue. He informed the House that the Department of Law and Order (DLO)has been conducting sensitisation programmes and short video campaigns targeting students and government officials.
Between 2022 and 2023, around 15,000 students participated in these awareness initiatives.
The minister highlighted growing cases of sextortion, online scams, gambling, and abuse linked to digital platforms. He revealed that 235 online scam cases amounting to Nu 27 million (M) were registered with the police, but only 32 cases were solved and Nu 12M recovered.
In the case of online gambling, 334 individuals were caught by the DLO, with 127 cases reported to the police. The accounts involved have since been frozen.
MP for Gangzur-Minjey, Loday Tsheten, pointed out that although the public recognises the dangers of pornographic content, technical agencies such as GovTech Agency have yet to effectively curb its availability.
“It would be good for the country if harmful content was not easily accessible,” he said.
Nyishog-Saephu MP Kuenga reminded the House that while the Constitution guarantees the right to access social media, the boundaries of that right remain widely misunderstood. He called for clearer guidance on responsible use.
The government has begun implementing measures to monitor digital platforms as of April this year. Additionally, the MoESD has initiated sex education and social media literacy programmes targeting students.
Call for greater accountability and regulation
MP for Shompangkha, Tek Bahadur Rai, stressed the need for stronger protection for children.
“Unlike many countries, Bhutan has no effective restriction on children’s access to inappropriate content, which leads to academic distraction and mental health challenges,” he said.
MPs also expressed alarm over the rising use of AI in creating “deepfake” content and the lack of public awareness around such technologies. They criticised the absence of clear accountability and regulatory mechanisms to enforce existing social media rules.