Online safety & content laws in Marshall Islands (2026)

In 2025 the Nitijela (parliament) passed a cluster of digital laws in a single legislative session: Cybercrimes Act 2025, Cybersecurity Act 2025, Personal Data Protection Act 2025, Electronic Transactions Act 2025, and Digital Transformation and Identity Verification Act 2025, representing the country's first comprehensive digital legal framework.

The Cybercrimes Act 2025 (PL 2025-40) introduces substantive cybercrime offences where previously only limited provisions existed under Criminal Code 2011 Articles 224 (forgery) and 250 (illegal interception/surveillance). No dedicated cybercrime law had been in force since the authorities began drafting such legislation in 2019.

PL 2025-43 applies solely to core government ministries and agencies collecting, using, or processing personal data of natural persons, and takes effect 12 months after certification. Private-sector data processing remains unregulated by this Act.

There is no online safety statute equivalent to the EU Digital Services Act or UK Online Safety Act. No platform liability framework, no mandatory content moderation duties, and no age-verification requirements for online services have been enacted.

A harmful digital communications law is identified in the Marshall Islands' digital development roadmap as a future legislative priority, with planning documents referencing an August 2028 target alongside broader cybersecurity programme development.

The Marshall Islands operates an open internet without government censorship or content-blocking infrastructure. The Telecommunications (Reform) Act 2025 further liberalised the telecoms market, and Starlink launched local services in June 2025, expanding broadband access.