Cybercrime Laws

Please visit our DPO Digest Page for further discourse on the region's cyber developments and cybercrime laws including our publication entitled "A Report on Cybercrime Laws in the Caribbean".

Anguilla Cybercrime Law

No substantive national cybercrime law was identified. The Criminal Code of Anguilla provides a basic legal framework for certain offences.

Antigua and Barbuda Electronic Crimes Act, 2013

Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2018

Scope: The Electronic Crimes Act provides for the prevention and punishment of electronic crimes with substantive and procedural provisions. Cybercrime offences include access and interference, sending offensive messages, identity theft, electronic forgery, electronic fraud, violation of privacy, misuse of encryption, child pornography, electronic terrorism, harassment, false websites and spam.

Bahamas Computer Misuse Act, 2003

Scope: The Computer Misuse Act makes provisions concerning securing computer material against unauthorised access and modification. Cybercrime offences include unauthorised access, access with intent, unauthorised modification, unauthorised use or interception, unauthorised obstruction, unauthorised disclosure of access code.

Barbados Computer Misuse Act, 2005

Barbados Cybercrime Bill, 2024

Scope: The Computer Misuse Act makes provision for the protection of computer systems. Cybercrime offences include illegal access, interfering with data, interfering with computer system, illegal interception of data, illegal devices, access with intention, child pornography, malicious communications.

The Cybercrime Bill, currently with the Joint Select Committee, is to replace the Computer Misuse Act. 

Belize Cybercrime Act, 2020

Scope: The Cybercrime Act seeks to combat cybercrime by creating offences, providing  for penalties, investigation and prosecution of these offences. Cybercrime offences include illegal access, illegal data interference, illegal system interference, illegal devices and codes, computer-related forgery, identity-related fraud and theft, child luring, publication or transmission of image, using a computer system to harass a person, infringement of copyright, etc.

Bermuda Computer Misuse Act, 2024

Scope: The Computer Misuse Act provides for criminal offences relating to unauthorised access to computers. Cybercrime offences include unauthorised access to computer material, unauthorised access with intent, unauthorised acts with intent to impair, or with recklessness as to impairing, operation of acomputer, unauthorised acts causing, or creating risk of, serious damage, making, supplying or obtaining articles for use in committing an offence under the Act.

BVI Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act, 2014

Scope: The Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act provides for securing computer material and prohibits unauthorised access, modification, interference or the misuse of computers. Other offences include unauthorised disclosure of passwords, access codes, unlawfully making available devices or data, offences involving protected computer, unlawful publication of computer data and child pornography, using a computer for child pornography.

The Cayman Islands Computer Misuse Law (2015 Revision)

Scope: The Computer Misuse Law provides for computer-related offences. Cybercrime offences include unauthorised access to computer material, unauthorised access with intent to commit or to facilitate the commission of further offences, unauthorised modification of computer material, unauthorised use or interception of computer service, causing computer to cease to function.

Cuba Cybercrime Law

No substantive cybercrime law was identified. The Penal Code provides a basic legal framework for certain offences.

Dominica Cybercrime Law

No substantive cybercrime law was identified. 

Dominica Republic Ley No. 53-07 sobre Crímenes y Delitos de Alta Tecnología
Law No. 53-07 on High Technology Crimes and Offences

Scope: The Law creates certain offences relating to technology-related crimes. Cybercrime offences include illegal access, data or signals interception or intervention, interference, fraudulent devices, forgery, child pornography offences, crimes related to intellectual property and related property.

Grenada Electronic Crimes Act, 2013

Scope: The Act provides for the prevention and punishment of electronic crimes. Offences include unauthorised access and interference, sending offensive messages through communication services, identity theft, electronic forgery, electronic fraud, violation of privacy, misuse of encryption, child pornography, sensitive electronic system, electronic terrorism, prank calls to law enforcement, electronic stalking, spoof and spam, unauthorised access to code.

Guyana Cybercrime Act, 2018

Scope: The Act seeks to combat cybercrime by creating certain offences and to provide for penalties, investigations and prosecution of offences. Cybercrime offences include illegal access, illegal interception, illegal data interference, illegal acquisition of data, illegal system interference, illegal devices, computer-related forgery, computer-related fraud, offences affecting critical infrastructure., identity-related offences, child pornography, child luring.

Haiti Cybercrime Law

No substantive cybercrime law was identified.

Jamaica Cybercrimes Act, 2015

Scope: The Act creates cybercrime offences and penalties. Cybercrime offences include unauthorised access, access with intent, unauthorised modification, unauthorised interception, unauthorised obstruction of operation of computer, computer related fraud or forgery, use of computer for malicious communication, unlawfully making available devices or data for commission of offence, offences relating to protected computers.

Montserrat Penal Code (Amendment) Act, 2022

Scope: The Act creates cybercrime offences. Cybercrime offences include unauthorised access, unauthorised acts with intent, offences affecting critical infrastructure, computer-related forgery, computer-related fraud, sending letter, electronic communication or article with intent to cause distress or anxiety, improper use of public electronic communications network, offence by body corporate.

Saint Kitts and Nevis Electronic Crimes Act, 2017

Scope:The Act prohibits certain acts. Cybercrime offences include illegal access, illegal remaining, interfering with data, interfering with computer system, illegal interception, possession, sale, etc. of illegal devices, computer-related fraud, unlawful disclosure of access code, unauthorised access to restricted computer system, child pornography, unlawful communications, computer-related forgery, data espionage, identity-related crimes, spam

Saint Lucia Computer Misuse Act 2009

Scope: The Act seeks to protect the integrity of computer systems. Cybercrime offences include unauthorised access, access with intent, unauthorised access to and interception, unauthorised modification, damaging and denying access to computer system, unauthorised disclosure of password, unlawful possession of devices and data, electronic fraud, offences related to protected computer systems, indecent photographs of children, malicious communication.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Cybercrime Act, 2016

Scope: The Act creates offences relating to cybercrimes. Cybercrime offences include illegal access, illegal remaining, illegal interception, illegal data interference, illegal acquisition of data, illegal system interference, offences affecting critical infrastructure, illegal devices, identity-related crimes, computer-related forgery, computer-related fraud, child pornography, violation of privacy, spam, spoofing.

Suriname Criminal Code

Scope:  The Code provides for certain offences relating to cybercrime. Cybercrime offences include illegal access, disruption of computer data/computer system, computer-related forgery/fraud, offences related to child pornography, misuse of technical tools.

Trinidad and Tobago Computer Misuse Act, 2000

Trinidad and Tobago Cyber Crime Bill, 2017

Scope:  The Act prohibits unauthorised access, use or interference with a computer. Cybercrime offences include unauthorised access, access with intent, unauthorised modification, unauthorised use or interception, unauthorised obstruction, unauthorised disclosure of access code, offences involving protected computers, unauthorised receiving or giving access, causing a computer to cease to function.

Turks and Caicos Cybercrime Law

No substantive national cybercrime law was identified.

Budapest Convention on Cybercrime

Scope: Members of the European Union and the rest of the world

The main objective is to pursue a common criminal policy aimed at the protection of society against cybercrime, especially by adopting appropriate legislation and fostering international co-operation. 

The Convention also has 2 additional protocols:

• First Protocol on Xenophobia and Racism 
• Second Additional Protocol on Enhanced Co-operation 

African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection

Scope: Members of the African Union:

The African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention) seeks to establish a legal framework that addresses electronic commerce; personal data protection; and promotes cybersecurity and combats cybercrime

UN Cybercrime Treaty 

Seeks to elaborate a comprehensive International Convention on countering the use of ICTs for criminal purposes, and

• Promote and strengthen measures to prevent and combat cybercrime;  
• Promote, facilitate and strengthen international cooperation in preventing and combating cybercrime; 
• Promote, facilitate and support technical assistance and capacity-building to prevent and combat cybercrime, in particular for the benefit of developing countries.