Legal definitions
In Nicaragua, a “child” is defined as a person under 13 years old, and an “adolescent” is a person between 13 and 18 years old.
While specific terminology differs, the Nicaraguan Criminal Code and Special Law on Cybercrimes prohibit conduct related to child sexual exploitation, child sexual abuse, child pornography or CSAM, and enticement or grooming. “Sexually explicit conduct” is not specifically defined, but laws mention “sexual or erotic activity, real or simulated….” Computer-generated CSAM is not specifically addressed.
“Sextortion” is not specifically defined but conduct commonly occurring in sextortion cases is prohibited by existing laws.
The legal age of consent for sexual activity is not defined, but the Family Code fixes the age of majority at 18 years.
Regulatory requirements/recommendations
Online platforms are not required to proactively screen or moderate content, report or remove child sexual exploitation content, or use humans or any specific technology to moderate content.
Age verification requirements/recommendations
Online platforms are not required to implement any method to verify the age of a user before allowing access to their services.
Parental consent requirements/recommendations
Online platforms for are not required to obtain parental consent before a child accesses their services.
Legal remedies for child victims
There are no apparent legal remedies for child victims to stop the publication of CSAM, compel online platforms to remove CSAM from their services, obtain an injunction or court order requiring online platforms to take specific actions, seek financial damages from CSAM offenders, or access government-funded victim support services. A victim is not entitled to notification when an offender is arrested for crimes related to CSAM depicting the child.
"Safety by Design" requirements
Online platforms are not required to incorporate “Safety by Design” into their systems.