Online safety & content laws in Barbados (2026)
Online safety rules in Barbados: partial.
Barbados regulates online conduct through the legacy Computer Misuse Act 2005 and the GDPR-modelled Data Protection Act 2019. A sweeping Cybercrime Bill passed the House of Assembly in February 2024 but remained before a parliamentary Joint Select Committee as of early 2025, having not yet received Senate assent. There is no dedicated online-safety or platform-liability law equivalent to the EU DSA or UK OSA, and no state-imposed internet censorship or content blocking.
Legal framework
Computer Misuse Act 2005; Data Protection Act 2019 (fully in force January 2025); Cybercrime Bill 2024 (passed House of Assembly, pending Senate)
Key points: internet & online safety in Barbados
Computer Misuse Act 2005
Chapter 124B, enacted 18 July 2005, criminalises unauthorised access to computer systems, data interference, and related offences, with penalties up to $25,000 BBD fine and/or 2 years imprisonment. It is the primary standing cybercrime statute but does not impose platform content-moderation obligations.
Data Protection Act 2019 (fully in force Jan 2025)
Modelled on the EU GDPR, the Act established a Privacy Commissioner, sets out data-subject rights, lawful-processing principles, and cross-border transfer rules. Full enforcement commenced 1 January 2025, making it the primary instrument governing personal-data handling by online services operating in Barbados.
Cybercrime Bill 2024, pending Senate
Passed by the House of Assembly on 7 February 2024 to replace the 2005 Act and align Barbados with the Budapest Convention, the Bill was subsequently referred to a Joint Select Committee amid controversy. As of early 2025 it had not received Senate assent and was not yet enacted law.
Broad online-expression offences in pending Bill
Clauses 19-20 of the Cybercrime Bill would criminalise publishing data online that causes 'annoyance, embarrassment, anxiety or substantial emotional distress,' carrying fines of up to $70,000 BBD and 7 years imprisonment. Civil society and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) have flagged these provisions as a threat to freedom of expression.
No platform liability or content-moderation framework
Barbados has no legislation imposing DSA- or OSA-style obligations on online platforms: no systemic risk assessments, no duty-of-care requirements, no algorithmic transparency rules, and no mandatory age-verification regime for online services.
Open internet; no state censorship
Barbados is rated 'Free' in Freedom House's Freedom in the World 2025 assessment; there is no evidence of government-mandated content blocking, internet shutdowns, or heavy surveillance infrastructure targeting ordinary users.
Sources
- barbadosparliament.com/bills/details/741
- barbadosparliament.com/uploads/bill_resolution/a3240d16d0dce7d292c1eebd990b96c1.pdf
- dig.watch/resource/computer-misuse-act-chapter-124b-barbados
- cmabarbados.com/
- dataguidance.com/jurisdictions/barbados
- lexcaribbean.com/barbados-a-modern-data-protection-regime/
- barbadostoday.bb/2024/02/15/controversial-cybercrime-bill-goes-to-house-senate-review-
- adfinternational.org/news/barbados-cybercrime
- monitor.civicus.org/explore/barbados-cybercrime-bill-raises-free-speech-concerns-before-i
- freedomhouse.org/country/barbados/freedom-world/2025
- dataprivacy.bb/2023/09/19/modernising-cyberlaw-in-barbados-a-brief-look-at-the-upcom
Next for Barbados: CybersecuritySectoral rules
Next topicOrientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 24 May 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026