Online safety & content laws in Guatemala (2026)

Guatemala has enacted no dedicated statute governing platform content moderation, online safety duties, or algorithmic accountability. Online platforms operate without statutory content-moderation obligations or a DSA/OSA-style regulatory framework.

Basic computer-crime offences were added to the Penal Code in 2000. A previous Cybercrime Prevention and Protection Law (Decree 30-2022) was shelved by Congress after 112 deputies upheld a veto, with critics warning it could criminalise online criticism of public officials.

Initiative 6347, a new Cybersecurity Law, received a favourable opinion from the National Security Commission of Congress in August 2025. It proposes creating a CSIRT-GT incident-response centre and criminal penalties of up to 30 years for specified cyber offences, but experts and civil society have raised concerns about military oversight, opacity, and potential chilling effects on free expression.

The Ley de Protección Integral de la Niñez y Adolescencia (LPINA) permits restriction of digital content deemed harmful to minors and requires media and event organisers to classify content accordingly, providing a limited child-safety hook for online services; however, enforcement of online platforms is minimal.

Guatemala has no intermediary liability framework (no equivalent to US Section 230 or EU e-Commerce Directive safe harbours) and no statutory age-verification requirements for online platforms. Platform obligations in content moderation are entirely self-regulatory.

Guatemala does not engage in systematic infrastructure-level internet filtering or censorship. However, journalists and activists face legal harassment and strategic lawsuits (SLAPPs) related to online publications, and proposed legislation has repeatedly raised concerns about enabling state surveillance and suppression of online speech.