THE government has not confirmed whether new laws to protect children from online harms will be brought before the States by the end of next year.
Drafting is under way on legislation to require the removal of harmful online content, with consultation expected in 2027. An earlier consultation on the proposals closed in March this year.
But when asked which online-safety measures would result in legislation being lodged before the end of 2027, the Chief Minister said: “The Council of Ministers 2027 legislative programme is currently being finalised.”
Senator Lyndon Farnham was responding to questions from Deputy Victoria Li, who chairs the Chair of Children, Education and Home Affairs Panel.
It comes after parents and former Channel Islands Data Protection Commissioner Emma Martins urged Jersey to strengthen its response following Meta’s $18 billion settlement over claims that Facebook and Instagram harmed children.
Smartphone Free Childhood Jersey member Emily Jennings previously warned: “We can no longer sit back and expect someone else to protect our own children.”
The January consultation proposed requiring social-media platforms, websites and search engines to provide accessible complaints procedures for Islanders seeking the removal of illegal material or content breaching the services’ own rules.
Services would have to respond within 48 hours, either removing the material or explaining why it was considered lawful and consistent with their rules.
Islanders dissatisfied with the response could escalate complaints to a Jersey authority, potentially the Information Commissioner, with powers to order content removed.
The proposals also included stronger privacy rights covering intimate images shared without consent, photographs taken during vulnerable moments and images used to bully or harass, including AI-generated material.
However, a separate Jersey Law Commission review of gaps in existing legislation will not be completed until later in 2027. Its estimated cost is up to £30,000.
A proposed consultation on network-level filtering will form part of a broader consultation “at a later date”, with no timeline specified.
The new Online Safety Policy Ministerial Group first met on 7 September. A work programme will now be developed under its oversight, following an online-safety commitment in the proposed Common Strategic Policy.
A scrutiny review published last year found Jersey’s online-safety system was “fragmented” and lacked “an overarching framework”, leaving local children more exposed to harmful content than their UK counterparts.
Ms Martins previously warned that its recommendations “must not be allowed to languish on a digital shelf”.
