Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, has firmly rejected allegations that the government’s current push to regulate social media is a move toward censorship. Speaking on his weekly programme, Issues in the News, the Attorney General clarified that the initiative is driven entirely by the need to safeguard minors from harmful online content.
Nandlall emphasized that the government fully supports the educational and social benefits provided by digital platforms. However, he stressed that the exposure of young users to pornography, violence, and other inappropriate materials poses a serious risk to their development.
“There is no intention to censure or interfere with anyone’s freedom of expression,” the Attorney General stated, noting that any proposed legislative framework is intended to address these specific welfare concerns rather than stifle speech or political discourse.
The government has launched a series of nationwide consultations to gather input from parents, educators, legal experts, and other key stakeholders. In a recent high-level session, the Attorney General met with:
Representatives from the Judiciary and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chambers.
The University of Guyana’s Law Department.
The Law Reform Commission and the Constitutional Reform Commission.
The Office of the Ombudsman and the Guyana Bar Association.
According to the AG, these legal and educational experts have overwhelmingly supported the introduction of formal safeguards for children using the internet.
Responding to claims that the government is seeking to control platforms, Nandlall confirmed that they have written to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to establish a formal institutional relationship. He argued that this is a necessary step for any modern state to address issues affecting its citizens on major social platforms, and that such cooperation is long overdue.
He further noted that Guyana is following an international trend, as many nations across Europe, Asia, Australia, and Latin America have already enacted—or are currently developing—similar legislation to protect minors online.
The Attorney General concluded by reiterating that the state cannot effectively monitor children’s online activity in isolation. He maintained that any successful regulatory framework will require the active cooperation of parents, guardians, and the education sector.
“This initiative has no ulterior motive, no political content, and is not inspired or driven by any form of desire to control or censor,” Nandlall reaffirmed. “It is to accord paramount importance and protection to the welfare of our children.”
