Online safety & content laws in Bhutan (2026)

Legal framework

Information, Communications and Media Act 2018 (ICMA 2018); Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA); Rules and Regulations on Content 2019

Key points: internet & online safety in Bhutan

1. 01Primary Legislation

   The Information, Communications and Media Act 2018 (replacing the 2006 Act) is the principal statute covering telecommunications, broadcasting, print and online media, e-commerce, online privacy, and cyber offences including unauthorised access, identity theft, and unlawful data disclosure. It does not constitute a comprehensive online-safety regime.

   bhutanwiki.org oag.gov.bt

2. 02Regulator, BICMA

   The Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA) is the unified regulator for ICT, broadcasting, print, and online content. Its five members are directly appointed by the government. BICMA enforces content rules, issues public warnings on harmful social-media trends, and operates a public complaints mechanism.

   bicma.gov.bt bhutanwiki.org

3. 03Content Rules and Restrictions

   The Rules and Regulations on Content 2019 prohibit content offensive to public feeling, threatening public security, or abusive in nature (s. 2.2(c)). Defamation is a criminal offence and national-security law penalises attempts to create hostility between government and people, both of which apply to online expression. Pornography and selected offensive websites are blocked.

   bicma.gov.bt en.wikipedia.org

4. 04No Dedicated Cybercrime or Data-Protection Law

   Bhutan has no standalone cybercrime statute and has not signed the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. Cybercrime investigations rely on ICMA 2018 provisions and the Civil and Criminal Procedure Code. There is also no dedicated Data Protection Act as of May 2026.

   coe.int consentstack.io

5. 05Legislative Push for Stronger Online Safety

   Bhutan's National Assembly passed a resolution calling for zero-tolerance enforcement against online pornographic, violent, and harmful content, and recommended establishing an autonomous Content Monitoring and Enforcement Division under BICMA and potential ICMA amendments to strengthen BICMA's autonomy and enforcement powers.

   asianews.network

6. 06Press Freedom and Self-Censorship

   Bhutan's RSF World Press Freedom Index ranking fell sharply from 33rd (2022) to 152nd (2025), with 84% of journalists practising self-censorship according to the Bhutan Media Foundation. No specific age-verification rules for online platforms have been enacted; the 2023 National Digital Identity Act provides a digital-ID infrastructure but not online-safety age-gating obligations.

   rsf.org explorer.ooni.org

Sources

1. 1.bhutanwiki.org/articles/information-communications-media-act-2018
2. 2.oag.gov.bt/language/en/resources/bhutan-information-communications-and-media-act
3. 3.bicma.gov.bt/
4. 4.bicma.gov.bt/?page_id=264
5. 5.coe.int/en/web/octopus/-/bhutan
6. 6.asianews.network/bhutanese-national-assembly-calls-for-zero-tolerance-on-online-pornog
7. 7.rsf.org/en/country/bhutan
8. 8.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Bhutan
9. 9.consentstack.io/regulations/bt-icma
10. 10.explorer.ooni.org/country/BT
11. 11.bhutanwiki.org/articles/bicma-bhutan