KINGSTON, Jamaica — In a significant legislative move, Jamaica’s House of Representatives has approved comprehensive amendments to its Cybercrimes Act, substantially reinforcing the nation’s digital security infrastructure. The updated legislation aims to enhance protections for vulnerable groups, particularly children, while equipping law enforcement and prosecutors with more robust legal instruments to combat digital offenses.
The parliamentary debate, concluded by Minister Andrew Wheatley from the Office of the Prime Minister (with responsibility for Science, Technology and Special Projects), addressed pointed criticisms from the Opposition regarding the bill’s approach to emerging technologies. Opposition members had expressed concerns that the legislation failed to explicitly address artificial intelligence applications, deepfake technology, forged digital documents, or manipulated video content—potentially creating prosecution challenges.
Minister Wheatley defended the technologically neutral stance of the legislation, emphasizing its intentional design to remain applicable across evolving digital platforms. “The Cybercrimes Act is crafted to be technologically agnostic,” Wheatley stated. “This neutrality is deliberate, enabling prosecution of offenses irrespective of the specific technology employed, the platform involved, or the method of digital manipulation.”
The Minister further clarified that “the absence of a specific reference to AI is not detrimental to prosecution efforts. The critical factor remains whether the fundamental elements of the offense exist—whether intimate imagery has been generated or fraudulent data manipulation has occurred through input alteration, deletion, suppression, or other means outlined in the legislation.”
Concurrently, the Jamaican government has initiated development of a National AI policy through a reconvened National AI Task Force. This body will conduct comprehensive analysis of Jamaica’s existing legal and regulatory frameworks, potentially recommending additional legislation or amendments specific to artificial intelligence applications.
Recognizing that legislative efficacy depends on public awareness, Minister Wheatley committed to implementing extensive public education initiatives. “Legislation cannot operate in isolation,” he noted. “We have a responsibility to ensure our citizens fully understand these protective measures. Following parliamentary passage, we will launch comprehensive education programs ensuring citizens, institutions, and law enforcement agencies thoroughly understand the Act’s provisions, practical standards, and consequences for violations.”
The amended legislation now proceeds to Jamaica’s Senate for final review and approval.