THERE should be some restrictions on social media platforms to protect children in Jersey from online harm, the Children’s Minister has said.
Constable Richard Vibert stressed that this was his personal view and that he would need to speak to ministers, when questioned in this week’s States sitting.
A ministerial group has been formed to look at the issue.
Mr Vibert was responding to an oral question from Deputy Catherine Curtis, who chairs the Children’s, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel, which launched a review into protecting children from online harms earlier this year.
Deputy Curtis asked whether the minister had considered an Island-wide strategy to protect children from online harm, highlighting that while there were “huge benefits” from the online world, there was also “dangers”.
Mr Vibert said having a strategy to deal with online harm was “extremely important”.
The minister said he was “100%” supportive of a strategy which would likely be developed with a number of other ministers.
He said: “We must help families and the children themselves deal with these online issues.”
The minister added: “What’s always at the front of my mind in these things is that once a child or young person has seen a disturbing image, that can never be removed from their mind, and I think that’s particularly important when we start to consider whether there should be a block on social media for instance.
“I have my own personal view on that. I need to speak to other ministers, but my personal view is that I think we will have to – through the owners of these platforms – certainly bring in some restrictions on social media.”
Mr Vibert said he had been looking at what other jurisdictions were doing, including Australia which banned children under 16 from using social media last year.
