Countries

Guyana

Digital snapshot – key policies and laws

Guyana’s reform agenda is ambitious: President Irfaan Ali has said most government services should be digitised by the end of Q2 2026, with the programme built around digital infrastructure, AI, cross-agency collaboration, and integrated ICT systems. Guyana’s legal framework has also expanded quickly, with the Data Protection Act 2023, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 2023, and the Open Data Act 2024 establishing the basic rules for privacy, digital transactions, electronic records, and public-sector data reuse.

Connectivity is improving, with an estimated 81.7% internet penetration in Guyana at the start of 2025, and mobile and social media use are also widespread. The country’s infrastructure base has strengthened through subsea capacity, such as Deep Blue One, activated in 2024 for Guyana and neighbouring markets, and satellite access with Starlink becoming operational in April 2025, especially relevant for remote communities.

Relating to cybersecurity and digital rights, in April 2024, the National Data Management Authority launched 43 cybersecurity policies under the government’s National Cybersecurity Policy Framework, signalling an attempt to secure public-sector digitisation before e-ID, health records, portals, and payments become mission-critical. At the same time, Guyana’s Cybercrime Act 2018 remains politically sensitive, with debates around online harms and social media abuse.

Digital ID upgrade

Guyana’s Digital Identity Card Act 2023 came fully into force on 26 March 2026, clearing the way for a national e-ID system meant to simplify access to public services, identity verification, and future digital transactions. Even more, digital ID could become the backbone of Guyana’s e-government, linking citizens to services in health, licensing, benefits, and online administration. For remote and underserved communities, e-ID could reduce paperwork and travel costs; for the state, it could improve service delivery and reduce fraud.

Regarding Guyana’s digital economy, FAST PAY, a real-time payments system scheduled to go live on 2 June 2026, is expected to support instant interbank transfers, mobile and internet banking, e-commerce, lower cash dependence, and faster public/private transactions. Together with the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, they provide Guyana a stronger foundation for online commerce, digital wallets, SME digitisation, and financial inclusion.

Guyana has no clearly published, standalone national AI strategy, yet AI is already embedded in public service plans, healthcare modernisation, and the proposed sovereign AI cloud agenda. The most striking development is the government’s 2025 MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Cerebras for an AI data centre of up to 100MW in Wales, Guyana.

Guyana’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva:

Guyana’s Permanent Mission in Geneva represents the country before the UN Office at Geneva and other Geneva-based international organisations. It is also accredited to organisations including UNCTAD, WHO, ILO, WIPO, IOM, UNHCR, ITU and the WTO, and covers several other international bodies and treaty processes. The Mission was established on 1 October 2016 to advance Guyana’s bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Official UNOG website: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/blue-book/missions/member-states/guyana

EMBASSY AND PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UN – GENEVA

Consult Guyana’s digital strategies and regulations

Here you can explore the country’s main digital strategies, laws, and regulations by simply asking the chatbot, which is designed to help you quickly find relevant documents and understand the country’s digital policy landscape.

Main digital policies and regulations in the country:

Follow Guyana’s digital submarine cables

Philippines

Digital snapshot – key policies and laws

The Philippines’ government goes online

The Philippines’ digital governance agenda is now anchored in the E-Governance Act of 2025, which aims to move digital transformation in public services from fragmented agency projects toward an integrated digital government, setting legal obligations for that purpose. The law gives Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) a central role in coordinating interoperable, secure, citizen-facing services, while its Implementing Rules and Regulations of the E-Governance Act require common standards on cybersecurity, data protection, and service integration. The eGovPH platform has become the public face of this shift, reportedly reaching 40 million downloads in 2026, while the law covers national agencies, local governments, state universities, and government-owned corporations.

The country has a relatively mature legal base for data and digital transactions. The Data Privacy Act of 2012 created the National Privacy Commission and applies to both public and private-sector processing of personal data, while the Internet Transactions Act of 2023 gives the Philippines a dedicated framework for online platforms, merchants, consumer protection, and the E-Commerce Philippine Trustmark. The rapid rise in digital payments is a key indicator of adoption: BSP reported that digital payments accounted for 52.8% of retail transaction volume in 2023, exceeding its 50% target.

Cybersecurity has moved higher on the public agenda after major public-sector breaches, most visibly the 2023 PhilHealth ransomware incident. The National Cybersecurity Plan 2023–2028, formally adopted by Executive Order No. 58 in 2024, sets the country’s whole-of-nation framework for a trusted, secure, and resilient cyberspace.

Regarding digital infrastructure, the country’s archipelagic geography makes backbone, middle-mile, and last-mile connectivity expensive, but major investments are underway. The World Bank-backed Philippines Digital Infrastructure Project aims to improve secure and climate-resilient broadband connectivity for more than 20 million Filipinos. Domestic and international submarine cables are also central to the country’s digital profile, including the 2,500 km Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network, which connects Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao through 33 landing sites.

AI governance is emerging, and the National AI Strategy Roadmap 2.0, launched in 2024, frames AI as a tool for industrial competitiveness, innovation, workforce development, and responsible governance; newer DOST-led work and the launch of the National Artificial Intelligence Center for Research and Innovation point to a stronger institutional base. The country does not yet have a comprehensive AI law in force, so AI is currently governed by strategy, sectoral guidance, data protection, cybersecurity rules, education policy, and pending legislative proposals.

Related news on dig.watch

Philippines’ Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva:

The Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the UN Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva represents the Philippines in Geneva-based multilateral diplomacy. Its official address is 14–16 Allée David-Morse, 1202 Geneva, and the UN Geneva Blue Book lists its email as geneva.pm@dfa.gov.ph.

Official UNOG website: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/blue-book/missions/member-states/philippines

EMBASSY AND PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UN – GENEVA

Twitter/X profile: https://x.com/PHinGeneva

Facebook page

Consult the Philippines’ digital strategies and regulations

Here you can explore the country’s main digital strategies, laws, and regulations by simply asking the chatbot, which is designed to help you quickly find relevant documents and understand the country’s digital policy landscape.

Main digital policies and regulations in the country:

Follow the Philippines’ digital submarine cables

Pakistan

Pakistan’s digital policy stack is anchored by the Digital Pakistan Policy (2018), with cybersecurity and platform rules layered on top, and a new National Artificial Intelligence Policy 2025 now approved by the federal cabinet. Together, they set direction for skills, data, cloud adoption and sectoral digitisation, while signalling a push to scale AI use across government and industry.

Connectivity rests on multiple subsea cables landing at Karachi (AAE-1, IMEWE, SEA-ME-WE-4/5, TW1, PEACE), with Africa-1 newly landed in 2025 to add capacity and route diversity toward the Middle East, Africa and Europe. These international links feed national backbones and data centres, and help mitigate the impact of periodic regional cable faults.

Pakistan’s digital public infrastructure also includes a large biometric ID system and Asaan Mobile Account, which opened 10 million mobile accounts (≈40% women-owned), expanding inclusion. Notably, Pakistan is among the top global suppliers of online freelance talent: Oxford-linked research cited by Fairwork finds Pakistan has the third-largest population of professionals in global cloudwork—an area where the country ranks among the world’s leaders.

Consult Pakistan’s AI and digital strategies and regulations

Follow Pakistan’s digital submarine cables

Norway

Digital snapshot – key policies and laws

Norway’s digital profile is anchored in The Digital Norway of the Future, its 2024–2030 national digitalisation strategy, which aims to make Norway the world’s most digitalised country by 2030 while emphasising trust, inclusion, security, and public-sector transformation. Digital infrastructure is already advanced: Nkom reports that, by end-2024, 99.1% of households had access to at least 100 Mbit/s broadband, 96.2% to 1 Gbit/s, and basic 5G household coverage reached 99.7%.

Norway’s National Cyber Security Strategy frames cyber resilience as essential to digitalisation, while the newer Digital Security Act sets baseline security requirements for providers of essential services, including energy, transport, healthcare, water supply, finance and digital infrastructure, as well as selected digital service providers.

Norway’s AI governance hub

In 2025, Norway launched KI-Norge (AI Norway) as a national AI coordination platform for a safety and effective use of AI. Rather than focusing only on regulation, the initiative is designed to bridge policy and practice by offering guidance, shared tools, and institutional support for both public and private actors. It is closely tied to Norway’s August 2026 planned implementation of the EU AI Act through the EEA framework, positioning the country within the EU’s AI governance model.

Data protection is strongly aligned with the EU: Norway applies the GDPR, with the Personal Data Act as the main national law and Datatilsynet as the data protection authority. In the digital economy, e-commerce is supported by high digital adoption and regulated by consumer protection rules and the VOEC VAT-on-e-commerce scheme, which requires foreign providers of low-value goods and remotely deliverable services to collect and pay Norwegian VAT.

Norway is also treating cloud, data centres, and Arctic connectivity as strategic infrastructure. Its 2025 data-centre strategy defines data centres as critical digital infrastructure, introduces registration for centres above 500 kW, and links the sector to security, sustainability, and national control. At the same time, Space Norway’s Arctic Way project will connect mainland Norway, Jan Mayen, and Svalbard through what it calls the world’s northernmost subsea cable system.

Related news on dig.watch

Norway’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva:

Norway’s Permanent Missions to the UN and to the WTO/EFTA in Geneva represent Norway before Geneva-based international organisations, including on human rights, humanitarian affairs, disarmament, global health, trade, and other multilateral issues. The mission is located at 35bis Avenue de Budé, Geneva, and serves as Norway’s main diplomatic platform in International Geneva.

Official UNOG website: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/blue-book/missions/member-states/norway

EMBASSY AND PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UN – GENEVA

Twitter/X profile: https://x.com/NorwayInGeneva

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/norwayingeneva/

LinkedIn page

Consult Norway’s digital strategies and regulations

Here you can explore the country’s main digital strategies, laws, and regulations by simply asking the chatbot, which is designed to help you quickly find relevant documents and understand the country’s digital policy landscape.

Main digital policies and regulations in the country:

Follow Norway’s digital submarine cables

Diplo chatbot can make mistakes. Consider checking important information.