Online safety & content laws in Bolivia (2026)

Legal framework

Ley General de Telecomunicaciones, Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación (Law No. 164, 2011); Autoridad de Regulación y Fiscalización de Telecomunicaciones y Transportes (ATT); Agencia de Gobierno Electrónico y Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación (AGETIC)

Key points: internet & online safety in Bolivia

1. 01No platform-liability or content-moderation law

   Bolivia has enacted no law establishing intermediary liability rules or requiring online platforms to moderate, remove, or report harmful content. Platforms face no obligation to remove content absent a court order, and there is no equivalent of the EU DSA, UK OSA, or Brazil's Marco Civil framework.

   globalchildexploitationpolicy.org whitecase.com

2. 02Law No. 164, primary ICT framework (2011)

   Ley No. 164 (8 August 2011) establishes the general telecommunications and ICT licensing regime, created AGETIC for e-government coordination, and provides the constitutional basis for digital governance. It does not address online content safety, platform obligations, or user-protection rules beyond basic service provision.

   lexivox.org wipo.int

3. 03No age-verification requirements

   Bolivian law imposes no obligation on online platforms to verify user age before granting access to services, nor to obtain parental consent for minors. There is no law requiring removal of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) upon notification by any entity.

   globalchildexploitationpolicy.org

4. 04Data protection law proposed but not enacted

   Bolivia has no comprehensive data protection statute. A draft Data Protection Law has been under analysis in Congress since 2023, grounded partly in constitutional privacy guarantees and building on the ICT provisions of Law No. 164 and Supreme Decree No. 1793 (2013), but it had not been enacted as of early 2026.

   eurocloud.org resourcehub.bakermckenzie.com

5. 05Internet access formally open; press-freedom concerns

   The Bolivian constitution guarantees freedom of speech and the government does not impose technical blocking of websites or social media platforms. However, Freedom House and RSF document ongoing threats, harassment, and self-censorship driven by government and pro-government pressure on journalists and online commentators.

   freedomhouse.org rsf.org

6. 06AGETIC e-government plan 2025-2028

   Supreme Decree No. 5468 approved AGETIC's Electronic Government Implementation Plan 2025-2028, which includes cybersecurity and incident-management pillars. This is an administrative/e-government instrument and does not create binding obligations on private online platforms or establish an online safety regime.

   eurocloud.org

Timeline of decisions

1. 10 Sept 2025Law · official
   Law 1636: Child Protection in Digital Environments Enacted

   Bolivia promulgated Law 1636, adding five new offences to the Penal Code, grooming, digital sexual harassment, indecent contact, production of child sexual abuse material, and its distribution/sale online, with sentences of 10-15 years. It is Bolivia's most comprehensive child online-safety legislation to date.

   LexiVox – Gaceta Oficial de Bolivia

2. 1 Apr 2025Law · official
   Senate Unanimously Approves Digital Violence Against Women Bill

   Bolivia's Senate passed bill CS No. 206/2024-2025, adding 'digital violence against women' as a standalone criminal offence with 1-3 years imprisonment for non-consensual sharing of sexual content via any digital platform, amending Law 348. The bill then moved to the Chamber of Deputies for final approval.

   Cámara de Senadores de Bolivia

3. 1 Mar 2023Decision · official
   Bill PL-304/2022-2023: Social Media Criminalisation Proposed and Withdrawn

   MAS Deputy Juan José Huanca introduced Bill PL-304 proposing 5-7 year prison sentences for 'misuse' of social networks, including spreading false information or defaming public officials online. After civil-society outcry over press freedom and evidence of plagiarised text, the bill was withdrawn in April 2023.

   Cámara de Diputados de Bolivia

4. 14 May 2020Decision · official
   Supreme Decree 4236: Anti-Disinformation Penal Clauses Revoked

   After the UN Human Rights Office and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) called for repeal, the Áñez government issued DS 4236, striking down the speech-criminalising provisions of DS 4231. The episode set a precedent that broad executive anti-disinformation decrees face international legal scrutiny.

   Viceministerio de Comunicación de Bolivia

5. 7 May 2020Law
   Supreme Decree 4231: Online COVID-19 'Disinformation' Criminalised

   Interim President Jeanine Áñez enacted DS 4231, making it a criminal offence (1-10 years) to disseminate information in any medium, including online, deemed to 'generate uncertainty or endanger public health.' Human Rights Watch, CPJ, and the IACHR condemned it as a tool to suppress digital criticism of the government.

   Committee to Protect Journalists

6. 17 May 2016Decision
   First Social Media Regulation Bill Introduced, Banning Anonymity Online

   Following the MAS ruling party's defeat in the February 2016 constitutional referendum, attributed partly to anonymous social media campaigns, a bill was formally presented in the Asamblea Legislativa to ban online anonymity, criminalise defamation of officials on social networks, and create a government office to monitor platforms. The bill failed to advance but established a recurring legislative pattern over the following years.

   Los Tiempos

Sources

1. 1.lexivox.org/norms/BO-L-N164.html
2. 2.wipo.int/wipolex/es/legislation/details/15308
3. 3.globalchildexploitationpolicy.org/content/gpp-ncmec/us/en/legal-summaries/bolivia.html
4. 4.whitecase.com/publications/insight/latin-america-focus-fall-2022-intermediary-liabi
5. 5.eurocloud.org/news/article/towards-a-data-protection-law-in-bolivia-digital-progres
6. 6.resourcehub.bakermckenzie.com/en/resources/global-data-and-cyber-handbook/latin-america/bolivia/top
7. 7.freedomhouse.org/country/bolivia/freedom-world/2025
8. 8.rsf.org/en/country/bolivia