Prioritising the Government’s social media gatekeeping role

By Dr Leslie Ramsammy

From all indications, 2026 will see the Government introducing legislation to ensure that the negative impacts of online gambling and social media are addressed. It is high time that Guyana and the world do something to stop online gambling abuse and the “Wild West” social media milieu. Government must assume a gatekeeping role if Guyana is to prevent abuse of social media. Leaving the social media gatekeeping role as a self-regulation option by the operators or for children and guardians is self-defeating.
In a media engagement with five leading women journalists, President Irfaan Ali announced that the Government will begin this month broad national consultation on legislative actions for social media regulations, with the hope of optimising the positive aspects of social media, while reducing and curtailing the abuse of social media and reducing the negative impact. This will go along with legislative actions announced by VP Bharat Jagdeo on online gambling set for this year.
Social media is a double-edged sword. While one cannot deny that social media have positive impacts on our lives and on society, and has become very much part of the Guyanese society, as it has become for the world, we must also acknowledge that there is a dark side to social media. Indeed, social media is a complex landscape. It is incumbent on Governments to regulate the landscape in order to optimise the positive impacts and reduce or eliminate the negative impacts. In this regard, it is encouraging to hear President Irfaan Ali announcing the intentions. of Government to conduct broad-based national consultations on the operations of social media in Guyana.
Several national Governments have already embarked on this road. France has now introduced legislations that bar children under 16 from using social media. Denmark and Greece have joined France in leading actions in the 27 countries of the EU to limit access to social media by children, including by setting age limits. Australia has set a limit of age 16 for access to social media platforms. Similar moves are being made by Malaysia, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Canada, the UK, Ireland, South Korea, India, Italy, and Brazil. These countries are seeking to hold social media platforms accountable for safety and to prevent minors from holding accounts. The The African Union, comprising 55 countries, is also considering model legislation to address social media abuse.
The Australian legislation which took effect on December 10, 2025, requires age-restricted platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram to prevent under-16s from creating accounts. However, platforms with significant educational purposes, such as YouTube, are exempt. The Australian law requires operators to take “reasonable steps” to enforce restrictions, with non-compliance resulting in penalties ranging from $AU9.9 million to $AU49.5 million for operators. Importantly, the law does not penalise children or their carers for accessing restricted platforms.
The first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children was held in Colombia last November. One of its focuses was social media abuse. Just prior to the event, 120 Governments made pledges to act by advancing legislative frameworks to combat social media abuse. Notable pledges included Burundi’s commitment to review its Penal Code to address all forms of child sexual exploitation by 2028; Spain’s promise to draft a new law for children’s protection in the digital environment, and several countries, including Guatemala, Nepal, Pakistan, Mongolia and Zambia, pledging to review their child sexual exploitation laws. The conference issued a Call to Action, which includes updating national legislation to criminalise abuses in the digital environment and integrating online risks into violence prevention and response efforts.
In addition, the UN General Assembly adopted the UN Convention against Cybercrime on December 24, 2024. The treaty includes provisions on child sexual abuse online, grooming, and non-consensual image dissemination. On October 25/26, 2025, in Vietnam, 72 countries signed the Treaty, and, therefore, since the requirement for 40 countries to sign has been exceeded, the treaty will come into effect on January 25, 2026. We must be hopeful that Guyana and Other CARICOM sister nations will sign the Convention in 2026. Jamaica is the only CARICOM country to sign so far. Only Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela from the Americas have signed so far.
While social media has an unlimited positive impact on society and users, we cannot hide from the ugly downside of social media. From mental health issues, disinformation and erosion of truth, cyberbullying and online harassment, and data privacy and manipulation issues, the Negative impacts of social media must be confronted.
Once consultations begin in Guyana, there will be concerns about censorship and stifling innovation. These will be valid concerns. Still, these concerns ought not to be excuses to ignore the multi-faceted downside associated with unregulated platforms. We must work together to craft a regulatory framework that balances free speech, data privacy, and platform accountability to ensure that social media is used responsibly and contributes to a more informed, engaged, and equitable society.
President Irfaan Ali, acknowledging that the proliferation of social media platforms has fundamentally reshaped information dissemination, social interaction, and political discourse, has invited all stakeholders to collaborate so that Guyana can find the right mix for a regulatory platform that serves the interest of our scountry. The question is simple and, yet, complex.
Should social media platforms be allowed to operate unfettered? In 1994, Guyana put aside political differences and addressed the issue of medical termination of pregnancy. The result was one of the most progressive and advanced laws for medical termination of pregnancy. We can do the same for social media. President Irfaan Ali has my support. I hope we all accept his invitation and help craft a Guyanese response that is admired around the world.