(Kaieteur News) – As Guyana consults on its Child Online Safety and Ethical Technology Framework, which proposes an under-16 social media ban, Think Tank Abrams & Associates Research is urging a tactical pause. In their policy brief, “Education Before Regulation,” researchers Karen Abrams and Salima Bacchus-Hinds argue the state is rushing into intrusive territory without vital local data, warning that Guyana must “measure before it mandates.”

While validating the government’s goal of child protection, the firm flags mandatory age verification as the least reversible, most intrusive element of the package.

The brief highlights a major blind spot: Guyana lacks a comprehensive national study on youth digital habits. Relying on foreign assumptions ignores local realities. For many children in interior regions, the “binding constraint is a lack of digital access rather than digital excess.” Sweeping restrictions risk crowding out critical developmental goals like equitable access and digital literacy. Guyana isn’t legislating in a vacuum. Australia’s under-16 social media ban took effect in late 2025, providing a live test case. It has already revealed massive administrative burdens and unresolved privacy issues.