Gov’t to amend Cybercrimes Act to better protect Jamaicans, especially children

The government has moved to amend the Cybercrimes Act to ensure stronger protection for Jamaicans, especially children and impose tougher penalties.

The amendments will also update definitions and offences that reflect how harm travels through digital platforms.

Minister with responsibility for Technology, Dr. Andrew Wheatley, today opened the debate on the  Cybercrimes Amendment Act, stating that the changes will also see sharper tools for law enforcement and prosecutors.

He noted that the debate is timely, because Jamaicans’ daily life is now unavoidably digital and increasingly, the dangers and pitfalls are digital – amplified by social media virality, remote anonymity, cross-border criminal networks and artificial intelligence that can generate convincing deepfakes, synthetic voices and manipulated imagery. 

Among the issues to be addressed through the amendments is the publishing of an intimate image without consent or being reckless as to whether consent has been given. 

Dr. Wheatley said it provides carefully framed statutory defences for legitimate publication contexts, including law enforcement, legal proceedings, bona fide educational or scientific and medical research and reporting about historical or current events with reasonable care taken to omit explicit depiction. 

Where this offence is committed against an individual under eighteen years, a term of imprisonment not exceeding twenty years may be imposed.

Dr. Wheatley also referred to two clauses which will increase the penalty for crimes against minors to a term not exceeding 20 years.