Bailiwick of Guernsey Data Protection Commissioner Brent Homan issued this statement following the UK Government’s announcement of plans to introduce a social media ban for under-16s. He highlights the importance of informed and balanced discussion as jurisdictions respond to the growing challenge of protecting children from online harms.
This is a critical global discussion right now as academics, health professionals, regulators, parents and governments across the world are considering how best to protect the most cherished members of society - our children. A social media ban or delay has been implemented in Australia while the UK has just announced their plans for similar legislation. Other jurisdictions are considering their own version of a delay or ban.
When it comes to the question of bans, they can be blunt instruments and any prospective legislation would need to be well thought out in order to be effective, fit for purpose and future-proofed. As a regulator in the sphere of promoting and protecting children’s data rights, we are looking forward to engaging with the government in any consultations that may be had in the area of online safety and future regulations. At the end of the day, it is our collective responsibility to raise our children in a manner that they can embrace all the positive benefits that the digital era has to offer, while increasing protection from its very real risks.
What is clear, is that there is no more urgent or important priority than protecting our children. While regulation may be considered in the future, there are actions that can be taken now to enhance the protection of our children. At the ODPA we have seen the need for greater guardrails to support the safety of our children online, where parents, schools, platforms, regulators and governments can all play their role. This represents the very motivation for our children’s outreach and education programme that discusses those very real risks and actions that can be taken to reduce the harm The programme includes our partnership with schools where we deliver online safety education to children of all ages across the Bailiwick. To support the very frontline in protecting our children - parents and carers, in 2025 we launched the Parent's Online Safety Workshop to provide actionable advice on protecting children online and to inspire open conversations. And through our programme we are teaching children and families about online safety through the joy of gaming, at our annual ACE Invaders event.
As it comes to enforcement and protecting children, our Office has leveraged the “power of partnership” and its role as a global leader in the coordination of 61 authorities from around the world to sign the Joint Statement against AI Imagery, setting out the risks of deepfakes and making clear our collective expectations for developers and social media platforms. In addition, as a co-coordinator of the Global Privacy Sweep , alongside global partners we have examined the privacy and safety practices of websites and apps that are targeted at, or popular with children.
Whilst discussions of bans or restrictions continue, we can all agree that the risks and harms that are driving those discussions are ever present. We all must do our part to protect children and young people, ensuring that they can enjoy the right to a healthy and safe digital childhood, as they grow to be the next generation of leaders.