Guyana's government has begun a series of national consultations aimed at developing legislation to protect children from the risks of social media, while preserving their access to digital education and economic opportunities. Kwame McCoy, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, outlined the initiative at a forum on Saturday, describing it as an effort to strengthen protection for minors across both household and national levels.

The consultation process is drawing input from a broad range of groups. The most recent session brought together social media influencers, media practitioners and public relations professionals. Earlier rounds had already engaged civil society organisations and non-governmental bodies. Going forward, ministers across government departments will conduct similar exercises within their own sectors, widening the scope of the national dialogue.

All written submissions and feedback gathered through these sessions will be compiled into a central pool of recommendations and forwarded to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance for formal consideration. The government has framed the process as a deliberate, cross-ministerial effort to ensure that the resulting policy reflects perspectives from across Guyanese society.

McCoy acknowledged the tension at the heart of the issue. The state has made substantial investment in digital education in recent years, most notably through the GOAL initiative, an academic programme designed to expand skills and opportunity for young people. Yet those same platforms that carry educational value also expose minors to cyberbullying, grooming, harmful content and the psychological effects of addictive product design. The minister described these not as competing concerns to be traded off, but as conditions that a coherent legal framework must address simultaneously.

"This is not an attempt to ban technology or to ban anything," McCoy said at the forum. "This is an attempt to improve a system at the household level, at the national level that allows for the guaranteed protection of our children." The administration has clarified that the proposed measures are not intended to limit rights to digital connectivity, educational opportunities, or the practice of responsible online expression.

The proposal remains in its early stages, but the intended direction is towards enforceable child safety standards backed by legislation. Officials have indicated the framework will set expectations at both the family level, in terms of guidance and awareness, and at the structural level through national law. The precise form of any legislation has not yet been announced, as the consultation process is still gathering input.

One distinct strand of the consultation has focused on the role of content creators. At the close of Saturday's session, McCoy called on influencers and digital media figures to take stock of their reach among younger audiences. The content that creators produce daily, he argued, has a material effect on the beliefs, perceptions and behaviour of children who follow them. The government's position is that this influence carries responsibility, and that media professionals have a constructive part to play in shaping a safer digital culture, not solely through self-regulation but as partners in a broader public effort.

These discussions are part of a broader global trend where governments are increasingly challenged by the need to oversee digital environments that were often built without prioritizing the safety and well-being of minors. Countries including Australia and the United Kingdom have moved in recent years to introduce age verification requirements and mandatory safety standards for platforms. Guyana's approach, centred on stakeholder input before legislative drafting, suggests the administration is seeking domestic consensus before committing to a specific regulatory model.

No timeline has been set for when proposals will be brought before parliament. The government has said it expects the consolidation of recommendations to take place once the full round of ministerial consultations is complete.

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