The Government of Guyana has commenced a nationwide consultation process aimed at developing legislation to regulate children’s access to harmful content on social media and the internet. Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, announced the initiative during his latest Issues in the News programme, noting that the first consultation was held on Tuesday at the World Trade Centre.
According to Nandlall, the exercise stems from an initiative by President Irfaan Ali and is being led by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira. The government is seeking to establish a regulatory framework to shield children from harmful online content while preserving access to educational and beneficial materials.
“We have decided to start work on establishing a regulatory framework that will protect our children from the pernicious materials that are available on the world wide web and on social media for the protection of our children,” Nandlall said. He emphasized that the initiative is focused on safeguarding children and is not intended to restrict freedoms.
“I want to assure you that the government has no ulterior or nefarious motive. This is not an attempt to censor, this is not an attempt to interfere with anyone’s freedom of expression, or freedom of thought, or freedom to access the media. This is simply for the protection of our children,” he stated.
Nandlall noted that while the internet provides valuable educational resources, there is also content that children should not be exposed to. He argued that regulation of social media has become necessary, pointing out that several countries have already implemented measures to address the issue, particularly where children are concerned.
“Needless to say, that the time is here for us to regulate social media generally. I don’t think anyone can feel that we can continue with a social media that is completely unregulated,” Nandlall said.
He explained that Guyana will draw from legislation already enacted in countries across Europe, South America, Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand, while adapting any framework to local realities. The consultation process will be broad-based and involve stakeholders from across the country.
Religious organisations participated in the first round of discussions, but additional engagements are planned with parents, teachers, social workers and other groups. “We are going to go into other phases of consultations and engage every important stakeholder in society, because we want the widest possible views to be expressed on this matter,” he said.
The Attorney General added that the success of any future legislation will depend heavily on the involvement of parents, guardians, teachers and others who interact with children, noting that government alone cannot monitor what children are exposed to within their homes. He further announced that consultations will be held in all regions to ensure the proposed legislation reflects national input and receives broad public support.
Source: snn.gy
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