Chatbot blocked – Jamaica Observer

Advocacy Groups that had called for the removal of the National Family Planning Board (NFPB) chatbot “Yute Chatz” on the grounds that it promoted deviant sexual behaviour welcomed the quick response of the Ministry of Health to stop the operation of the messaging platform.

The suspension took place 24 hours after the Sunday Observer highlighted the concerns of outraged groups who said they were appalled that young people were being given information on such sensitive topics, especially without parental consent or supervision.

“The Ministry of Health has noted the concerns raised by the public regarding the use of Yute Expression’s Yute Chatz chatline and is reviewing these concerns in light of the Government of Jamaica’s health and family policy. The service will be suspended in the interim while the reviews are being conducted,” the ministry said in a press release on Monday.

The outraged groups, including the Love March Movement, the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches and the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ), have been calling on the government in recent weeks to suspend or remove the platform.

The president of the Love March movement, Dr. Daniel Thomas, had Sunday Observer that during his interaction with the platform he noticed that inappropriate discussions about sex and sexuality were taking place with children without parental supervision or consent.

He also pointed out that the chatbot, which is intended for young people aged 13 to 24, alerted users that they might identify as nonbinary and directed them to LGBT rights group J-FLAG for advice on LGBT issues, as well as conducting conversations about alternatives to sex, bypassing parental consent.

On Monday, Dr Thomas praised the ministry for suspending the platform but continued to push for its removal.

“Our preference is that it be abolished and that the parents of our country be equipped with information so that they can decide which path is best to take to empower their children on particularly sensitive issues,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“We look forward to the ministry seeking further consultations with the National Parent-Teacher Association, the Jamaica Teachers’ Association and the Jamaica Guidance Counsellors Association, as necessary, if they wish to create a replacement or modify the chatbot in its current form,” he said.

NPTAJ director Stewart Jacobs also praised the Department of Health for its quick response to concerns about the messaging platform.

“I really commend the ministry for listening to the voice of the people and acting accordingly,” Jacobs said. “It is commendable that they are trying to develop a communication tool and talk to children about these sensitive issues. However, this must be done in a responsible tone.”

He also called on the ministry to meet with relevant stakeholders when reviewing the platform to find a way forward.

In its press release on Monday, the Ministry of Health noted that the NFPB, currently a public body, will be integrated as a sub-department of the ministry. “As part of the integration process, the ministry will review all of the NFPB’s programs and activities to determine how they should be implemented as part of the central ministry.”

The ministry also said the integration will be completed by July 31, 2024, the date the NFPB repeal bill proposed for 2023 comes into force.

Launched in January this year by the NFPB in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund and U-Report Jamaica, Yute Chatz by Yute Expression provides children aged 13 and above with information on contraception, pregnancy, HIV, sex, mental health and more.

According to the NFPB, the results of a rapid assessment of adolescents and young people indicated that young people want information to support them in their decisions. “The confidentiality and ease of use of the chatbot means there is less reliance on the services of friends and less reliable online sources.”

It went on to say that the messaging platform was also created to make the awkward conversations that parents fear with their children “less intimidating.”

According to the NFPB, the information shared through the platform has been “carefully researched and evaluated to ensure its adequacy and accuracy.”