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Online safety & content laws in Central African Republic (2026)

Online safety rules in Central African Republic: partial.

The Central African Republic has no comprehensive online safety or platform-liability law. Digital regulation is fragmented: a personal data protection law enacted in January 2024, scattered Penal Code provisions addressing cyber-fraud and child pornography, and ratification of the African Union Malabo Convention on Cyber Security. No dedicated cybercrime legislation, no content-moderation regime, and no platform age-verification rules are in force.

Last verified Official sources first · MethodologyCompare Central African Republic with other countries

Legal framework

Loi No. 24/001 on Personal Data Protection (2024); Penal Code provisions on electronic fraud and child pornography; AU Malabo Convention (ratified 2023); CEMAC electronic-communications harmonisation directives

Key points: internet & online safety in Central African Republic

  1. Data Protection Law (2024)

    Loi No. 24/001, adopted in January 2024, is the country's first dedicated data protection statute. It establishes obligations for data controllers and processors, grants individual rights, and applies to any processing with effects in CAR territory, including for public security and judicial proceedings.

    dataprotection.africa techhiveadvisory.africa

  2. No Dedicated Cybercrime Law

    As recorded by the Council of Europe Octopus Programme, CAR has adopted no stand-alone cybercrime legislation and no national cybercrime strategy. The Penal Code contains only two relevant provisions: Article 164 (fraud with electronic data) and Article 111 (child pornography). There is no dedicated cybercrime unit and no national CERT.

    coe.int

  3. AU Malabo Convention Ratified

    CAR ratified the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention), which entered into binding force for the country on 8 June 2023. The convention sets regional baseline standards for cybersecurity, electronic transactions, and personal data protection.

    dataprotection.africa techhiveadvisory.africa

  4. Press Law Re-criminalisation (2025)

    In May 2025 the National Assembly revised the press freedom law to re-introduce criminal penalties for broadly defined 'press offences' (incitement to crime, threats to national security), reversing decriminalisation in place since 2020. This affects online as well as print journalism and creates chilling effects on digital speech.

    hrw.org state.gov

  5. No Platform Liability or Age-Verification Rules

    CAR has enacted no legislation imposing content-moderation duties, platform liability, or age-verification obligations on online services. The country is not party to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, and the Criminal Procedure Code lacks corresponding procedural powers.

    coe.int

  6. Very Low Internet Penetration

    Internet penetration in CAR is among the lowest globally (estimated at around 11-15% as of recent years), limiting the practical impact of digital regulation. Journalists and civil society nonetheless report self-censorship online, and a draft 'foreign agents' law modelled on Russian legislation was under parliamentary consideration as of October 2024.

    rsf.org hrw.org

Sources

  1. dataprotection.africa/central-african-republic/
  2. techhiveadvisory.africa/insights/review-of-the-central-african-republic-data-protection-law
  3. coe.int/en/web/octopus/-/central-african-republic
  4. state.gov/reports/2024-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/central-africa
  5. hrw.org/world-report/2026/country-chapters/central-african-republic
  6. rsf.org/en/country/central-african-republic

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Orientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 24 May 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026