Online safety & content laws in Haiti (2026)

The Conseil National des Télécommunications (CONATEL) is Haiti's sole regulatory authority for telecommunications and internet services, operating under decrees from 1969 and 1977. This framework predates the modern internet and contains no provisions for online platform accountability, content moderation, or user safety.

Haiti is among the few Caribbean nations with no enacted cybercrime legislation. UNCTAD's Cyberlaw Tracker records Haiti as lacking a dedicated cybercrime legal framework; a draft bill has been circulated but was never ratified due to persistent legislative and political dysfunction.

On 18 December 2025, Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council approved a decree on freedom of expression published in Le Moniteur on 30 December 2025. It introduces prison terms of six months to three years and fines from 100,000 gourdes (~USD 760) for press offences including online defamation, dissemination of 'false news' capable of disturbing public order, and cyberbullying. Critics and the OAS Special Rapporteur warn the vague language risks suppressing legitimate online speech.

Haiti has no platform-liability regime (analogous to the EU DSA or UK Online Safety Act) and no age-verification requirements for online services. There are no obligations on social media platforms, hosting providers, or app stores to moderate content, report illegal material, or verify user ages.

Haiti enacted Law No. 172-13 on the Comprehensive Protection of Personal Data, providing a basic data-protection regime. However, enforcement infrastructure is weak and there is no independent data-protection authority with powers over online platforms.

Freedom House's Freedom on the Net assessment places Haiti in the 'Free' tier with no systematic government blocking or mass surveillance of internet traffic. However, severe physical violence against journalists, gang control of infrastructure, and the 2025 press decree create a chilling effect on online expression.