-Minister McCoy says, assures intent is not to restrict access to technology
GOVERNMENT is working on developing a comprehensive mechanism to protect children from the harmful consequences of social media, while maintaining access to digital education, creativity, and online economic opportunities.
Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs Kwame McCoy made this known during an engagement with local influencers, media practitioners, and public relations experts on Saturday.
McCoy said the administration recognises that social media and digital technologies now occupy a “major part” of children’s lives and must be addressed through structured national action.
He pointed out that while digital platforms have opened up avenues for learning, information, creativity, innovation, and economic participation, they also expose children to a wide range of risks.
The minister explained that the session formed part of a wider programme of engagements with different stakeholder groups. Consultations have already been held with sections of civil society and non-governmental organisations.
Other ministers, he said, will conduct similar exercises within their sectors to ensure a broad national conversation.
He indicated that submissions from all stakeholder meetings will be collated into a national pool of ideas and feedback for consideration by the government, with the consolidated report to be forwarded to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance.
Participants were also invited to submit additional written recommendations for inclusion in that pool.
The minister stressed that the initiative is not an attempt to restrict access to technology, but to strengthen protections at both the household and national levels in keeping with the State’s obligations to children.
“This is not an attempt to ban technology or to ban anything. 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 in keeping with the constitutional obligation and the rights of children, by virtue of us being able to create and establish laws and authorities,” he said.
The proposed mechanism, he added, would likely involve the creation of laws that reflect higher standards of child protection online, while preserving digital inclusion, education, and responsible expression.
“Guyana’s approach and our government’s approach is about first and foremost protecting our children by all means, by all cost, while preserving the opportunity for digital inclusion, creativity, and responsible expression and innovation,” he said.
The minister underscored that the government has been heavily promoting digital education over the last five years, citing initiatives such as the digital school and the Guyana Online Academy of Leaning (GOAL).
Technology, he said, has been used for communication, culture, access to information and economic participation, but the same technologies expose children to serious dangers, including cyberbullying, harassment, exploitation, grooming, harmful content, addictive platform design, misinformation, and mental health challenges.
The consultations are therefore intended to help the administration “keep pace” with the evolving online environment and to identify practical measures that can be implemented in homes, schools, and communities.
He urged participants to share their experiences and suggestions freely.
“The information sector has a special role, which you fall into as influencers, because you help shape what children see, hear, believe, and they think on a daily basis as you practice your trade and you share content across platforms,” he said.
