Online safety of children to be reviewed by Scrutiny
Scrutiny
7 February 2025
The Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel (the Panel) has today launched a review into online protection measures for children in Jersey. The review’s main objective is to establish what is considered good practice with regards to the safeguarding of children within the digital world and to consider Jersey’s position within this. This will include reviewing:
- Current legislation,
- Government policy,
- The role of internet service providers and social media platforms, and
- The role of education, family and culture.
In October 2024, the Panel held a standalone Public Hearing with the Ministers for Children and Families, Justice and Home Affairs and Sustainable Economic Development on the subject of ‘Online Safety for Children in Jersey’, which sought to understand the Government’s reasoning for not requesting a permissive extent clause for the UK’s Online Safety Act. Following that Hearing, the Panel agreed that it would like to focus on this important issue further.
With children having ever-increasing access to the digital world, the Panel wishes to examine:
- what measures are in place to protect young Islanders from online harm;
- what regulations are in place in other jurisdictions that might be applicable to Jersey and;
- whether Jersey is meeting its obligations under the UN Convention on Rights of a Child.
Following the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry report in 2017, which made a string of recommendations relating to the safety of children, the Panel is keen to ensure that young Islanders are being protected as best as possible, particularly given the nature of the expanding digital world.
To inform its Review, the Panel intends to hold Public Hearings with the Minister for Children and Families, Connétable Richard Vibert, the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, Deputy Rob Ward, the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, Deputy Mary Le Hegarat and the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel. The Panel will also be seeking the views of various other stakeholders including Jersey’s Children’s Commissioner, teaching unions and social media platforms.
The Panel aims to present its report, which will include key recommendations for Ministers, over the Summer.
Chair of the Children, Education and Home Affairs Panel, Deputy Catherine Curtis, said:
‘We decided to launch this Review to ascertain the level of protection children in Jersey have when accessing the internet. We are aware that keeping our children safe online is a major concern for Islanders - one that is a constantly evolving problem given the nature of technology. The Panel has undertaken this review to ensure that Jersey’s laws and regulations meet best practice principles and have the required flexibility built into them to adapt to the changing digital landscape.
‘We are keen to understand the role that social media platforms and internet service providers play in the protection of children, as well as the policy measures our Government departments have in place.’
To share your thoughts about the online safety of children, please email scrutiny@gov.je.
For more information read the Panel’s review and the Terms of Reference
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