Online safety & content laws in Bermuda (2026)

Bermuda has not enacted an equivalent to the UK Online Safety Act 2023 or the EU Digital Services Act. Cyber-focused legislative activity in 2024–2025 has centred on cybersecurity of critical infrastructure (Cybersecurity Act 2024) and data protection (PIPA), not on platform content-moderation duties.

Under the Electronic Communications Act 2011, sending a message via a public electronic communications service that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character — or sending false messages to cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety — is an offence punishable by up to one year's imprisonment and/or a fine of $25,000.

The Criminal Code (as amended, including by the Criminal Code Amendment Act 2020) criminalises online 'luring' — using electronic communications to facilitate later sexual activity with a child under 16 — and strengthens safeguards against sexual offences by persons in a position of trust for those under 18. There is no separate online-child-safety code imposing systemic duties on platforms.

The Personal Information Protection Act 2016 came fully into force on 1 January 2025. It contains specific rules for handling personal information of children (defined as under 14) but does not impose age-assurance/age-verification duties on online services generally.

Bermuda law does not codify a Section 230-style intermediary immunity, nor DSA-style notice-and-action duties. Platforms are exposed to general criminal and civil liability principles; there is no local regulator empowered to fine social-media or user-to-user services for failing to remove harmful content.

The Cybersecurity Act 2024 introduces operational cyber-security standards for critical infrastructure and essential services and is overseen alongside sector regulators (e.g. the Bermuda Monetary Authority for financial services). It does not regulate online content, moderation duties, or platform liability.