New Report Examines Digital Platform Governance in Central America and the Caribbean

The UPF Barcelona School of Management (UPF-BSM), and the I4T Global Knowledge Network, in collaboration with a coalition of global and regional partners, today announced the publication and dissemination of a comprehensive regional report: “Digital Platform Regulation in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean: From Diagnosis to a Roadmap for Action.” Developed with the support of UNESCO and funding from the European Union, the report serves as a critical milestone in the project Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Access to Information through the Implementation of the UNESCO Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms. 

The publication provides an unprecedented mapping of the regulatory landscapes across Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama. It contrasts current national frameworks against UNESCO’s Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms identifying critical gaps in how these nations address systemic digital risks such as electoral disinformation, online gender-based violence, and opaque algorithmic moderation. 

“This report marks a turning point for digital governance in Central America and the Caribbean,” said Rodrigo Cetina Presuel, Associate Dean for Education and Academic Affairs at UPF-BSM and Project Lead and one of the I4T Global Knowledge Network’s co-Chairs. “Our findings highlight that most states in the region face a near-vacuum when it comes to digital platform governance. Small markets cannot hold Big Tech accountable in isolation. The ultimate recommendation of this report is a call to action—these nations must forge a unified regional bloc to successfully demand algorithmic transparency, linguistic and cultural inclusion, and a safe, human rights-respecting digital ecosystem.”