Artificial Intelligence · Bahamas
AI regulation in Bahamas: laws & policy (2026)
Bahamas shaded by its artificial intelligence status
AI in Bahamas: proposed, anchored by Data Protection Bill 2025 (pending enactment, includes AI provisions); URCA Draft Annual Plan 2025 (sectoral telecom AI requirements); national AI white paper under development.
The Bahamas has no dedicated AI law in force as of May 2026. The government is actively developing a national AI strategy and white paper, while the Data Protection Bill 2025, currently before Parliament, will serve as the primary legislative instrument covering AI use, modelled on the EU GDPR. The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has introduced sector-specific AI notification requirements for public communications licensees pending broader legislation.
Key points
Introduced to Parliament in mid-2025, the bill is designed to repeal and replace outdated data protection law and explicitly covers AI, biometrics, fintech, cloud computing, and digital assets. It is modelled on GDPR principles and was described by the Attorney General as the 'backbone' of the digital economy.
The government announced plans to produce a national AI white paper for Cabinet review, aiming to position The Bahamas as the first Caribbean jurisdiction with a comprehensive AI governance framework. The strategy links AI regulation to skills development and a planned National Data Centre.
URCA's 2025 Annual Plan identifies AI as a regulatory priority in the electronic communications sector, requiring licensees to notify URCA within 30 days of deploying AI in public networks, and mandating alignment with ethical principles of transparency, fairness, and accountability.
The government has signalled intent to introduce laws specifically targeting AI-generated fraud, including deepfakes and synthetic identity fraud, as part of the broader national AI strategy package.
The Bahamas government has stated an objective to deepen CARICOM-level cooperation on AI governance, seeking shared principles and frameworks with regional neighbours to avoid regulatory fragmentation.
As of May 2026, The Bahamas has no enacted AI-specific legislation. AI governance relies on the pending Data Protection Bill 2025, URCA's sectoral telecom plan, and anticipated national strategy documents, all still in draft or pre-enactment stage.
Timeline - major decisions & events
Prime Minister Philip Davis tabled the Data Protection Bill 2025 in Parliament on 8 October 2025, following a public consultation opened 28 August 2025 by the Office of the Attorney General. The Bill explicitly addresses AI, algorithmic decision-making, biometrics, and cloud computing, requires human oversight of automated decisions, and proposes to repeal the 2003 Act, making it the primary legislative vehicle for AI governance in The Bahamas.
Office of the Prime Minister, The Bahamas ↗Parliamentary Secretary Wayde Watson announced during the 2025-2026 Budget debate that a national AI white paper is being prepared for Cabinet review, aiming to make The Bahamas a Caribbean first-mover in AI regulation. The government simultaneously confirmed plans for a National Data Centre (converting the former BTC site) and a National Digitisation Office to enable AI-powered fraud-detection and emergency-triage pilots.
Government of The Bahamas ↗The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority's 2025 Draft Annual Plan designated AI as a formal regulatory priority, requiring all telecoms licensees to notify URCA within 30 days of deploying any AI technology in public communications networks and to comply with data-protection and cybersecurity standards. This was the first binding, sector-specific AI oversight rule in The Bahamas.
Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA), The Bahamas ↗The Digital Assets and Registered Exchanges Act 2024 came into force on 29 July 2024, repealing and replacing the 2020 Act. It broadened scope to include staking, stablecoins, and digital-asset custody, and mandated registration of all Digital Asset Service Providers with the Securities Commission of The Bahamas, establishing the legal framework under which AI-powered fintech and crypto services operate.
Securities Commission of The Bahamas ↗UNESCO finalised the Caribbean Artificial Intelligence Policy Roadmap covering The Bahamas and more than ten regional states, built on four pillars: Culture and Creativity, Governance and Transformation, Upskilling and Education, and Resiliency and Sustainability. As the most relevant regional AI governance framework, it directly informed The Bahamas government's subsequent national strategy development.
UNESCO ↗UNESCO's Office for the Caribbean published the inaugural edition of the AI Policy Roadmap for the Caribbean, providing member states including The Bahamas with the first structured strategy for harnessing AI benefits while mitigating risks. It served as the regional baseline for AI governance before any national-level AI policies were developed.
UNESCO ↗The Securities Commission of The Bahamas froze the assets of FTX Digital Markets Ltd on 10 November 2022, suspended its registration, and appointed a provisional liquidator, one day before FTX filed for bankruptcy globally. The high-profile collapse of a Bahamas-domiciled crypto giant directly accelerated the push for the comprehensive DARE Act 2024 reforms and sharpened regulatory attention on emerging-technology oversight.
Securities Commission of The Bahamas ↗The Bahamas enacted its foundational data protection law in 2003 (brought into force in 2007), making it one of the first Caribbean countries to regulate personal data processing. It established the Data Protection Commissioner and core data principles, purpose limitation, data subject rights, lawful collection, forming the legal substrate on which all subsequent AI-related data governance, including the 2025 Bill, has been built.
Laws of The Bahamas — Official Legislation Portal ↗Bahamas - other topics
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