KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s House of Representatives has initiated pivotal debates on comprehensive cybercrime legislation amendments designed to confront evolving digital threats with enhanced legal protections for minors and expanded enforcement capabilities.
Dr. Andrew Wheatley, Minister without Portfolio responsible for Science, Technology and Special Projects, presented the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, emphasizing the necessity to modernize Jamaica’s legal framework beyond its original focus on unauthorized access and system interference. The minister detailed how contemporary threats now encompass large-scale identity theft, AI-facilitated financial fraud, viral platform harassment, and synthetic media reputational destruction.
Key legislative enhancements include:
• Extended imprisonment terms up to 20 years for cyber offenses targeting individuals under 18 years old, applying to crimes involving computer program/data access (Clause Three) and financial fraud/forgery (Clause Four)
• Critical redefinition of publication terminology replacing ‘send to another person’ with broader ‘publish’ terminology, specifically criminalizing non-consensual intimate image sharing regardless of capture method (Clause Five)
• Explicit invalidation of minor consent for intimate image publication with exemptions for law enforcement, legal proceedings, and bona fide research/journalism
• Comprehensive targeting of cybercrime infrastructure through prohibition of manufacturing, distributing, or possessing tools primarily adapted for cyber offenses (Clause Six)
The legislation specifically addresses AI-enabled criminal methodologies, including synthetic voice manipulation and deepfake technology, by defining intimate imagery to include computer-generated content. Minister Wheatley characterized cybercrime as increasingly ‘industrialized’ with tool rental markets requiring legal disruption.
Opposition Leader Mark Golding endorsed the bill while advocating for additional parliamentary review through a Joint Select Committee to address emerging AI challenges. The debate has been temporarily suspended pending further parliamentary procedure.