The report by the expert working group on the protection of minors in the online environment has entered a new phase. On Tuesday, December 3rd, the report was submitted to Spain’s Council of Ministers, culminating almost nine months of work by the Committee of Experts. This group of fifty professionals was created by the Spanish Ministry of Youth and Children to propose the best measures to take in the face of a growing problem: the negative impacts of digitalisation on children and adolescents, with phenomena such as cyberbullying, the selling of their personal data, mental health problems due to exposure on social networks, or the impact on their emotional and sexual relationships as a result of exposure to pornographic content.
Read moreAuthor: European Association for Digital Transition
“We must demand ethical, civil and criminal responsibility from big online platforms”
November 20 is World Children’s Day. To mark the date, as in other years, the European Association for Digital Transition (EADT) held a discussion session in Madrid on the digital rights of minors. New in 2024 is that the event arose from an agreement between the European Association for Digital Transition and the public business institution Red.es, within the framework of the Digital Rights observation area and aimed at promoting the Digital Rights Charter.
Read morePresentation of Telos magazine: We need values in digital governance
The Espacio Fundación Telefónica, in Madrid, hosted the presentation of Telos magazine’s issue no. 125, entitled Digital Pact. The event opened with a speech by Luis Prendes, the host as general director of the Fundación Telefónica. After this, a brief debate was held, moderated by Juan Zafra, the magazine’s director. Among the speakers were Silvia Leal, a PhD in Sociology; Juan Luis Redondo, director of Public Policy at Telefónica; and Ana Caballero, vice president of the European Association for Digital Transition (EADT).
Read moreWhy the Spanish Data Protection Agency does not like Google Workspace for Education
The use of technological tools in education is already common in primary and secondary schools, but over the past few months it has also become part of the debate about the possible negative effects of the use of technology among minors. Digitalisation in education, as in so many other areas, creates many benefits and opportunities. But at the same time, unfortunately, it opens the door to possible abuses by the big Internet giants, who base their business on the use of data, in this case data from a vulnerable population, that is, minors.
Read moreThe EADT calls on the European Commission to recognise digital networks as strategic infrastructures
The EADT has submitted its comments in response to the European Commission’s public consultation on the White Paper – How to master Europe’s digital infrastructure needs? Our contributions revolve around one concept: the economic dimension of digital sovereignty which, as we have always advocated, must be a priority for the EU powers.
Our analyses and recommendations are based on a comprehensive view that considers digital infrastructure not only as a technical element but as a public good that is essential for the economic, technological and social development of the European Union.
Read moreComments from the EADT regarding the draft law on minors in the digital environment: We need more effective protection
The complexity of the digital environment and the protection of minors within it is a multifaceted challenge. There is no single measure that can completely solve this problem.
In this sense, the preliminary draft of the Organic Law for the protection of minors in the digital environment, presented by the Spanish government, offers real progress. But it also creates significant concerns.
Read moreSpanish government law to protect minors online is on right track but needs ambition and consensus
The European Association for Digital Transition (EADT) takes a positive view on the draft law to protect minors in the digital realm, presented on June 4, 2024 following the Council of Ministers meeting. But all these measures could end up being ineffective if they are not implemented ambitiously, demanding accountability from platforms and online services, and with political consensus above and beyond partisanship. “It is not about pressuring companies just because, but rather about protecting children and adolescents from specific phenomena that are very dangerous”, says Ana Caballero, vice president of the EADT and spokeswoman for the organisation on issues affecting minors.
Read moreChildren, adolescents and problems with digital tools: the responsibility of the large internet platforms
The vice president of the European Association for Digital Transition (EADT), Ana Caballero, recently took part in some seminars held by the Andalusian Parliament. Organised by the Audiovisual Council of Andalusia, the session ‘The consequences of being the first digital natives’ analysed from various perspectives the risks involved in the overexposure of minors to screentime.
Read moreThe ‘Letta report’ and the European digital transition: An intelligent wake-up call
Bringing back a style that has been absent for decades, what is being called the “Letta report” – drafted by former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta on behalf of the European Council – is causing a major stir in European institutions. In part, it is a much-needed self-criticism. But it is also in part a wake-up call for the parliamentary majority that will emerge from the upcoming European elections and, with it, the shaping of the new College of Commissioners. Letta brings back one of the basic concepts on which all European politics must pivot, which is the “single market”, and what he defines as “five basic freedoms”: the ones that Jacques Delors formulated in his day – the free movement of people, goods, services and capital – and adding a fifth related to research, innovation and education.
Read moreNew York vs. TikTok, Facebook and YouTube for using addictive algorithms
The news that New York City was filing a lawsuit against various social media companies including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube appeared in the media and then quickly disappeared. At first glance, it may seem like a complaint doomed to failure. Nevertheless, that is not so.
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