Art. 9 of the Foreign Agents Law requires foreign agents to register with the Nicaraguan Government and to file reports on all funds and donations received from foreign entities, including how they are used.
The law defines “foreign agents” as any person who performs or works as an agent, representative, employee, service provider or any other activity subject to the orders, requirements, instruction, direction, supervision, or control from a foreign entity or from an individual or legal entity whose activities are, directly or indirectly, supervised, directed, controlled, financed or subsidised, in whole or in part, by foreign individuals, Governments, capital, businesses or funds, directly or through a third party, be it an individual or legal entities. It is reported that legal experts have expressed concern that the law is written so broadly that the government could apply it to any entity.

The Consumer and Users' Rights Protection Law and its regulation provide a comprehensive framework for consumer protection that also applies to online transactions.

Nicaragua has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.

Nicaragua has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

Nicaragua enacted the Electronic Signature Act, drawing upon the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

A basic legal framework on intermediary liability beyond copyright infringement is absent in Nicaragua's law and jurisprudence. Moreover, the 2020 Special Cybercrimes Law imposes significant penalties for online activities and applies to social media users and media outlets. The law allows the punishment of administrators of technological platforms that intervene in the content (Art. 16). It is reported that the use of vague and undefined terms can be applied arbitrarily or discretionally, resulting in legal uncertainty about their scope.

Pursuant to Art. 6 of Administrative Agreement No. 001-2021 on Regulations for the Preservation of Data and Information, operators that activate prepaid mobile telephony and internet services must maintain an up-to-date register of each user. At a minimum, the register must include the user’s full name, nationality, and address, the number and type of identity document, and the code or number of the assigned line. The register must be kept current and preserved for at least the period specified in Art. 5 of the Regulations, and it must be made available immediately to the Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Postal Services (TELCOR), in its capacity as regulator, upon request.

It is reported that, in March 2025, the government blocked more than 15 websites operating under the “.ni” domain. The websites reportedly affected by actions of the domain administration authority include independent Nicaraguan media outlets, such as CONFIDENCIAL, Revista Niú, La Prensa, 100% Noticias, Onda Local, and El Nuevo Diario. The reported blocks also extended to the websites of several universities, including the Central American University (UCA), Juan Pablo II University, Pablo Freire University, Nicaraguan Evangelical University (UENIC), the Hispanic American University (UHISPAM), the Universidad Católica del Trópico Seco (UCATSE), the Universidad Internacional de la Integración de América Latina (Unival), the Universidad Nicaragüense de Estudios Humanísticos (UNEH), and the Universidad Rubén Darío (URD).

The indicator "7.2.4 - Government Internet shut down in practice" of the V-Dem Dataset, which measures whether the government has the technical capacity to actively make internet service cease, thus interrupting domestic access to the internet or whether the government has decided to do so, has a score of 3 in Nicaragua for the year 2024. This corresponds to "Rarely but there have been a few occasions throughout the year when the government shut down domestic access to Internet."

Pursuant to Art. 16 of the General Act on Convergent Telecommunications, the provision of audiovisual communications services requires a licence issued by the Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Postal Services (TELCOR).
Art. 22 sets out minimum requirements for legal entities to obtain a licence, including: (i) the first and last names of the attorney-in-fact or legal representative, together with documentation evidencing their authority to act; (ii) the Unique Taxpayer Registration Number (RUC); and (iii) a legal and permanent address within the national territory.
The Act defines “Audiovisual Communications Services” as encompassing the production, distribution, and broadcasting of programmes and multimedia content, including value-added, supplementary, or related services (either linear or non-linear), whether provided openly and free of charge or on a subscription or paid basis, through telecommunications networks, the internet, or dedicated broadcasting networks (Art. 5(52)). Art. 9 further clarifies that audiovisual communications services include, inter alia, open television, subscription or pay television, AM and FM radio broadcasting, and any other service that transmits audiovisual content using any technology or means of transmission, including the internet.

It is reported that Nicaraguan customs officials routinely delay customs inspections and levy arbitrary fines for minor paperwork problems such as typographical errors. These fines reportedly often represent up to three times the value of the shipment. In addition, businesses report a significant increase in the number of incoming shipments subject to further inspections, with a majority of shipments now subject to such inspections.

It is reported that starting in 2019, Nicaragua’s Customs Authority (DGA) began systematically seeking proof of country of origin for products that had previously been established to have an origin country, including through a comprehensive questionnaire to importers seeking detailed information about the products. Multiple businesses have reported that the requested information contains proprietary business data or trade secrets. Businesses have sought to make arrangements with the DGA to establish proof of origin without publishing trade secrets in questionnaires, such as through site visits to production plants and staff interviews. However, it is reported that the DGA has rejected those proposals and, in multiple cases, has initiated administrative processes to remove preferential treatment and to seek retroactive tariffs for the period during which the product was imported with preferential treatment.

Pursuant to Art. 68 of the General Act on Convergent Telecommunications, the Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Postal Services (TELCOR) has the authority to impose restrictions on, or prohibit, the importation and use of specific telecommunications equipment. In particular, TELCOR may restrict or prohibit equipment where it: (i) requires an enabling title (título habilitante); (ii) contravenes the regulatory framework; or (iii) poses risks to national security or national interests. Where equipment is classified as restricted, Art. 69 requires the importer to obtain a Certificate of No Objection (Constancia de No Objeción) from TELCOR prior to customs clearance, and the equipment must also be previously homologated.
In line with this framework, TELCOR’s published list of restricted-use telecommunications equipment classifies as restricted all active telecommunications devices that use, manage, or transmit signals in the radio spectrum for the provision of telecommunications services to the general public or for the implementation and operation of private networks. Accordingly, the importation, installation, or operation of such equipment requires prior enabling authorisation from TELCOR in its capacity as the regulatory authority. This category includes, inter alia, mobile cellular telephony equipment, professional IoT devices operating in licensed bands, and satellite equipment.

Pursuant to Art. 65 of Law No. 735, service providers are obligated to design their systems in a manner that facilitates surveillance. Additionally, Art. 65 mandates that companies maintain a record of their users, which must be accessible to authorities involved in the investigation or prosecution of criminal offences. These requirements apply to both private and public entities that provide telephone, computer, or other electronic communication services. Art. 45 of the Regulation of Law No. 735 specifies that the official register referenced in Art. 65 must include, at a minimum, the following information:
- The date, time, and location at which the service is provided;
- The client’s or user’s full name, along with their national identity card number, valid passport number, or student card number;
- The client’s or user’s address and telephone number;
- Identification of the service provided.
Furthermore, Art. 45 stipulates that police authorities and the Public Prosecutor's Office shall have access to this register without additional formalities as part of their official duties and powers.

Art. 110 of the General Act on Convergent Telecommunications requires public telecommunications service operators and audiovisual communications service providers to provide any information requested by the Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Postal Services (TELCOR), including statistical and georeferential data, upon request and at TELCOR's discretion. Art. 112 further requires these operators to grant TELCOR access to their facilities for technical inspections and for the review of internal documentation. It is reported that, taken together, these provisions enable extensive government access to user-related information.