Art. 4.4 of Law No. 63 of 2015 on Anti-Information Technology Crime prescribes imprisonment and a fine for anyone who establishes a website, publishes, produces, prepares, creates, sends, or stores information or data intended to be used, distributed, or displayed via the Internet or an information technology device in a manner that harms public morality, or who manages a location for such purposes. This requirement in practice can act as a monitoring requirement.

Reports indicate that Kuwait has enacted several legislative measures pertaining to the restriction or censorship of online content. Notable examples include:
- The Law No. 3/2006, which contains provisions authorising the blocking of content deemed to contravene public order, morality, or national security. Under this law, the government is empowered to restrict access to websites or other media that violate these stipulations.
- The Law No. 63 of 2015, which criminalises a broad spectrum of online activities. This legislation grants the authorities the power to block websites or digital content that infringe upon its provisions.
- The Law No. 37 of 2014, which governs the telecommunications sector in Kuwait and incorporates provisions enabling the interception or blocking of communications that breach public order, morality, or national security. This law similarly authorises the government to restrict access to websites or other online material that contravenes these requirements.
In addition, it is reported that the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA) receives requests to block online content considered contrary to the public interest, including material that violates public morals, Islamic teachings, or public order. Upon receipt of such requests, CITRA undertakes the necessary measures to restrict access to prohibited content.
Evidence suggests that the Ministry of Communications has instructed internet service providers to restrict access to sites that contravene national customs and traditions. Additionally, government filtering practices primarily target content related to LGBT issues. CITRA has reported that blocked websites include material deemed offensive to the state or detrimental to public morals. According to CITRA, such actions are typically undertaken at the request of the Public Prosecution Office or Kuwaiti State Security (KSS). In 2025, CITRA announced that Kuwait had formally prohibited access to the online gaming platform Roblox.

It is reported that online platforms in Kuwait are required to comply with advertising regulations administered by authorities such as the Kuwait Municipality, the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA), the Ministry of Commerce, and the Ministry of Information. These regulations are designed to ensure that advertising practices uphold ethical standards and conform to cultural norms. In addition, all advertisements must be in Arabic and must not contain any material considered offensive.

Law No. 8 of 2016 regulates all web-based publications, including electronic news services, bulletins, newspapers and television websites, and the like, as well as social media. Under the legislation, all these services must obtain a license from the government before they can operate. Those in existence had one year to comply with the law. According to Art. 1 of the law, electronic media is defined as any activity which includes the publication or transmission of materials, activities or media services of electronic content that are produced, developed, updated, circulated, transmitted, published or penetrating through the international information net (the internet) or any other communications net.

Chapter 2 of the Cloud Computing Regulatory Framework delineates the licensing regime applicable to providers of cloud computing services.

Art. 1 of Law No. 43, which requires a licence for the importation of all goods, states that the right to import goods, materials and equipment is limited to Kuwaiti citizens; Kuwaiti partnerships if all partners are Kuwaiti citizens; joint stock and limited liability companies if Kuwaitis hold 51% or more of the total capital.

It is reported that the conditions for obtaining an import–export licence in Kuwait are as follows: the applicant must be a Kuwaiti national; where non-Kuwaiti partners are involved, Kuwaiti ownership must constitute at least 51%; the company must hold a valid commercial licence authorising import–export activities; and it must be registered with the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry to enable the clearance of goods through Kuwaiti ports.

Kuwait does not have a comprehensive legal framework governing all personal data; instead, it relies on sectoral regulation. Law No. 20 of 2014 on Electronic Transactions contains provisions related to data privacy and the protection of electronic records, documents, and information associated with civil, commercial, or administrative transactions conducted wholly or partially through electronic means, and applies to private companies, government authorities, public institutions, non-governmental organisations, and their employees. Additionally, Law No. 63 of 2015 on Combating Cyber Crimes imposes severe penalties for the unlawful tampering with or acquisition of personal or governmental data. In addition, Administrative Decision No. 26 of 2024, issued by the Communications and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (CITRA), establishes obligations concerning data protection for telecommunications service providers and related industry sectors that collect, process, or store personal data, in whole or in part.

Kuwait has a copyright regime under the Copyright and Related Rights Law. However, the exceptions do not follow the fair use or fair dealing model, therefore limiting the lawful use of copyrighted work by others. Art. 31 lists the exceptions, which include citing paragraphs of that work in another work, provided that the citation is in line with current practice and is not essential and to the extent justified by the desired goal, and mentions the source and the name of the author, and this applies to press abstracts transferred from newspapers and periodicals; transfer of short excerpts from previously published works, drawings, photographs, designs or maps to textbooks prepared for the curricula and to history, literature and the arts, provided that such transfer shall be as necessary, provided that the source and the name of the author are mentioned; among others.

Kuwait has not signed the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.

Kuwait has not signed the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty.

Kuwait lacks a comprehensive regime for the protection of trade secrets.

It is reported that there is a regulatory obligation in Kuwait for the sharing of passive infrastructure to enable the provision of telecommunications services to end-users, and that this is not only mandated but also actively practised in both the mobile and fixed sectors.

Arts. 23 and 24 of Law No. 68 require foreign entities conducting business in Kuwait to do so either through a local agent or a Kuwaiti partner, which is typically facilitated through the establishment of a Kuwaiti company with Kuwaiti participants owning at least 51% of the share capital. An exception to these restrictions on foreign ownership is when the relevant Kuwaiti company is established and licensed under Law No. 116 (Art. 12), which allows for increased levels of foreign ownership up to 100%. Law No. 116 permits the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA) to authorise, on a case-by-case basis, up to 100% foreign ownership in the following industries: communications infrastructure; information technology and software development; entertainment, investment management, among others. Although a Kuwaiti or Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) national must own at least 51% of any local company, this requirement may be waived if non-GCC investors qualify to invest through KDIPA. A 2017 amendment to the 2016 Companies Law eliminated prohibitive requirements on limited liability companies.

The government holds a 21.4% equity stake in the telecommunications company Zain, through the Kuwait Investment Authority and the Public Institution for Social Security.