Online safety & content laws in Bahamas (2026)

The Computer Misuse Act 2003 (in force June 2003) criminalises unauthorised computer access, modification of computer material, interception of computer services, cyberstalking, cyberbullying, and unlawful online gaming. It applies extra-territorially when the offender or affected system is in the Bahamas.

The Data Protection (Privacy of Personal Information) Act 2003 — one of the earliest Caribbean data-privacy laws — regulates collection, processing, and disclosure of personal data. The Data Protection Commissioner enforces it with fines of BSD $2,000–$100,000.

A new GDPR-inspired Data Protection Bill 2025 — expanding data-subject rights, imposing stronger controller accountability, and covering AI, biometrics, and cloud services — passed the House of Assembly and was undergoing public consultation as of late 2025. It is not yet in force; phased implementation is planned.

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) maintains a Code of Practice for Content Regulation, last revised by final determination in December 2024 (ECS 77/2024). This primarily covers broadcast and licensed electronic communications content; it does not impose EU/UK-style content-moderation or platform-liability obligations on social media or online platforms.

Internet access is open and unrestricted. Freedom House reports no government blocking, filtering, or judicially unsupervised monitoring of internet communications. The Bahamas is classified as politically 'Free', and no credible reports of state-directed internet censorship exist.

As of May 2026, the Bahamas has enacted no legislation imposing platform liability, mandatory algorithmic transparency, online harms duties of care, or age-verification requirements on social media or content-sharing platforms. No such bill has been publicly proposed by the government.