Online safety protections can extend to Guernsey

Saturday 29 April 2023

Guernsey residents are likely to get the same protections from harmful content online as those living in the UK.

The Online Safety Bill is currently being debated in the House of Lords and has been amended to allow its provisions to extend to the Island.

It will place duties on tech firms to protect users from harmful or illegal content and is expected to come fully into force some time in 2024.

The bill has proven to be controversial with campaigners on different sides of the debate arguing it either goes too far or not far enough.

Survivors of internet grooming and exploitation have urged the Prime Minister to strengthen the bill, repeating calls for a mandatory violence against women and girls code of practice to be included.

Wikipedia has said it will not comply with any age checks required under the bill.

WhatsApp says it would rather be blocked in the UK than undermine its encrypted-messaging system, while the app Signal could stop providing services in the UK if is required it to scan messages.

“The Online Safety Bill is intended to provide, amongst other things, protections from harmful content online, in particular aimed at protecting children,” a spokesperson for Policy & Resources, Home Affairs and Education said.

“This will be done in part through close working with OFCOM and online platforms.”

The committees said that they are content for the Bill to contain a permissive extent clause so that the relevant parts of resulting legislation can be extended to the islands with our consent “to ensure local residents can have the same protections as UK residents”.  

“When considering how the protection provided by the Bill may be afforded to those in the Bailiwick, regard will be given to the principles of the Justice Framework in promoting an inclusive and responsible community where children, young people and adults, feels safe and secure and individuals’ rights are protected.”