GEORGETOWN — Former Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes is warning that the government’s push to amend Guyana’s Cybercrime Act could spell danger for free expression, particularly for journalists and social media users.
Hughes, who served under the APNU+AFC administration that originally introduced the legislation, said the law was intended to target criminal acts committed through digital systems, not to silence critics.
“The Cybercrime Act was really intended to protect against illegal acts that are generated through a computer system,” Hughes explained. “The challenge is, as we have seen in recent times, it really puts a tool in the hands of persons that want to suppress freedom of speech.”
Her comments come on the heels of President Irfaan Ali’s inaugural speech on Sunday, where he signaled amendments to the act that could be used to go after persons online, including members of the media. The move has drawn scrutiny not only at home but also from the Commonwealth Observer Mission, which in a preliminary report Monday warned of “escalating attacks on free speech and the erosion of civic space.”
Hughes pointed specifically to Sections 18 and 19, which include the offense of sedition. She argued that the provisions are overly broad and dangerous, raising penalties from two to five years and opening the door for subjective interpretation. “I would repeal sections 18 and 19,” Hughes said, calling them a direct threat to civic freedoms.
What adds to the concern, she noted, is the Attorney General’s stated intention to further update the law to regulate social media. Critics say such changes would tighten government control over online platforms and discourage citizens from speaking out.
For Hughes and other advocates, the danger is clear: instead of protecting against cybercrime, the law could become a weapon to muzzle free speech in Guyana.
