JERSEY might require a dedicated online-safety watchdog to help ensure children are “adequately protected” in the digital world, according to the Children’s Commissioner.
Dr Carmel Corrigan said that the Island may eventually need “an online regulator” or a “regulation agreement with the UK”.
She made the comments in a letter to the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel, which has been examining how Jersey protects children from potential harm online.
In a previous contribution to the review, Dr Corrigan warned that children were facing “significant risks in the digital world”, including exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying, online exploitation and grooming.
Responding to a number of follow-up questions from the Panel – including whether Jersey should have an online-safety regulator in future – the Commissioner added that: “Jersey needs to ensure that its children are adequately protected from risks they may experience online so that they can enjoy and experience the benefits of the online world safely.”
She continued: “While we acknowledge in a small jurisdiction that presents challenges, Jersey needs to be creative in finding solutions, particularly when it comes to regulation.
“Given the pace of growth and development in the online environment, this may well necessitate an online regulator in the future, or a regulation agreement with the UK.”
She stated that “all options should be considered”.
The Panel has concluded the evidence gathering phase of its review and is currently producing a report.
Panel chair Deputy Catherine Curtis has said this will include “clear, actionable recommendations” to support policymakers in strengthening safeguards.
Earlier this week, Assistant Economic Development Minister Moz Scott told the JEP that legislation was being developed so that Islanders would have the legal right to contact social media platforms to request that content be taken down where it was in breach of the law.
The update comes as the UK Government continues to face controversy over the implementation of its Online Safety Act, which seeks to place new responsibilities on social media companies and search services to prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content.
