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Ministers back principle of social media 'restrictions' for under 16s

As momentum gathers in the UK and France for a child ban on social media, Jersey's ministers have indicated they support the principle of more restrictions here.

The government has given an update on work to to strengthen protections from  online harms in response to a scrutiny review which called for action.

Read: Government 'must act' to protect children from online harms

A statement outlines how a Ministerial Group has been set up to lead and oversee the response to online safety challenges.

The Law Commission has been been asked to find gaps in the law and recommend changes, and work is ongoing with telecoms providers to improve guidance for families.

The government says it 'recognises public concerns', adding that ministers 'support in principle the idea of restrictions to limit the use of smartphones and social media in under 16s'.

A schools phone ban came in last September.

Read: New school year begins with mobile phones banned

This week, France has backed a bill to ban social media access for under-15s,

Earlier this month, the the UK government launched a consultation on banning social media for under 16s as the House of Lords voted in favour of introducing one.

Denmark, Greece, Spain and Ireland are also considering following the Australian example which came into force at the start of 2026.

Jersey's Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham said: “Protecting children and young people from online harm is a responsibility we take extremely seriously.

"While important work is already under way across Government, we know that the digital landscape changes quickly, and our response must be able to change just as fast."

A consultation is open until early March on the the draft Online Harms legislation.

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