Guyana is advancing a modern legislative framework for social media, with the government examining international and regional models while seeking to protect freedom of expression and other constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall said Friday that a United Kingdom law firm is supporting the legislative review by examining regulatory models from jurisdictions around the world and developing a draft framework suited to Guyana’s circumstances.
“We have a number of sources of documents that we are examining together to ensure that we have a modern, comprehensive, and transparent framework that is in keeping with the modern realities of social media,” Minister Nandlall told members of the press.
The review is also drawing on recent legal developments in the United States, including litigation involving Meta in several states.
AG Nandlall said the government has examined both the court rulings and the proceedings that gave rise to them to understand the legal issues surrounding social media regulation.
At the regional level, Guyana is also considering work commissioned by CARICOM Heads of Government to examine the development of a legislative and regulatory framework for social media.
The government has received a first draft from the CARICOM initiative, which is being examined alongside international models and legal precedents.
Minister Nandlall stressed that the government’s approach is not simply to impose controls on social media, but to establish safeguards that address emerging concerns without undermining fundamental freedoms.
“You don’t want any measure that will in any form or fashion infringe the constitutional right of expression and other liberties guaranteed to the citizens of Guyana,” he said.
He said the central challenge is to strike an appropriate balance between addressing the harmful practices the legislation seeks to prevent and preserving citizens’ rights and liberties.
The ongoing work is therefore expected to inform a framework that is comprehensive, transparent and responsive to the rapidly changing digital environment, while remaining consistent with Guyana’s constitutional protections.