KINGSTON, Jamaica — While welcoming recent comments by Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton indicating that Jamaica is exploring restrictions on children’s access to social media, Fi We Children Foundation (FWCF) cautioned that limiting access alone will not be enough to protect children in the digital age.
In a statement issued on Monday, the advocacy group said that while efforts to shield children from online exploitation, harmful content and predatory behaviour are important, meaningful online protection requires a more comprehensive approach.
The organisation argued that safeguarding children online demands robust legislation, accountable technology companies and child-centred digital environments.
The group is now calling for urgent legislative reform, including amendments to the Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA), to explicitly address online harms facing children, stressing that legal protections must evolve alongside technological developments to ensure children enjoy their rights both offline and online.
Among the key reforms proposed by FWCF are:
— Age-appropriate design: Digital platforms should be designed with children’s safety and well-being at their core rather than maximising engagement and addictive scrolling;
