Islanders' views sought on child safety online

People in Jersey are being asked for their views about how to keep the island's children safe online, as a government review nears completion.

The Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny is reviewing what protections are in place to keep children safe from "online harms".

Deputy Catherine Curtis, chair of the , said it had received "a lot of useful and thought-provoking submissions" from islanders.

Curtis said keeping children safe was an "increasingly difficult task in the ever-evolving online world" and she encouraged "anyone interested in this area to write to the ".

"It is crucial that our report and recommendations to ministers are as strong and informed as they can be - and public submissions will help with that," she said.

Curtis said two of the most raised concerns had been the use of mobile phones in schools and the rise of virtual private networks (VPNs) - a way to encrypt chats and other online content so it cannot be read by others.

They can be used by criminals and paedophiles to hide their activities from the police and other authorities.

As well as written submissions, the has already held four public hearings - and is planning two more on 7 and 16 July between 09:30 and 10:30 BST.

The review's main objective was to establish" what is considered good practice with regards to the safeguarding of children within the digital world and to consider Jersey's position within this", the said.

This has included reviewing current legislation, government policy and the roles of social media platforms, schools and parents.

The said all written submissions were available online as were recordings of the public hearings.

The deadline for sharing evidence is Friday.

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