Pedro Sánchez asks for the support of the parliamentary groups so that the Organic Law for the Protection of Minors in the Digital Environment "comes out with a broad consensus"

Green Patio, Madrid

The president of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during his speech at the event (Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has pointed out that the study is "a profound x-ray of how our children and adolescents live, feel and grow up in this digital era."

The head of the Executive expressed his Government's commitment - together with other authorities, institutions and the families and educational centres themselves - to ensuring that they grow up healthy and protected in this immense city that is the internet, and explained that, to this end, "the Government's action is focused on three main, closely related areas," the first being "to continue extending the protection of minors in digital environments."

He asked for "the support of the parliamentary groups" so that, above and beyond any other calculation, the Organic Law for the Protection of Minors in the Digital Environment can be passed with a broad consensus; "a pioneering, necessary law", which "responds to an ethical requirement" such as "protecting the most valuable thing a country has: its children and adolescents", who represent the present and the future of our country.

This law, he added, "will mark a before and after, adapting our legislation to a changing reality in 2025": raising the minimum age for opening social networks to 16; criminalising 'deepfakes' in the Penal Code; introducing the penalty of virtual distancing; and toughening penalties for 'grooming', the abominable sexual crime where an adult poses as an adolescent to contact minors. Therefore, "we must say firmly: stop this kind of behaviour, because no click is worth more than childhood or adolescence," he added.

Combating bullying in all its forms and protecting mental health

The president of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during his speech at the event | Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

The "second axis", he explained, is based on "combating bullying in all its forms", given that one in four schoolchildren has suffered bullying, and one in ten has suffered cyberbullying, and in this sense he pointed out that "cases such as that of Sandra Peña, in Seville, have moved us all and we have to do everything we can to ensure that this type of bullying and such a dramatic situation does not happen again."

For Pedro Sánchez, "a very real and destructive violence today inhabits the web and the screens" and is present in WhatsApp groups, in video games, in the comments on a photo, and also in relationships. "That is why we have to guarantee safe and healthy environments for our children: regulating the use of mobile phones in schools and reinforcing paediatric protocols to detect bullying, technological addictions and emotional problems in time", all of which are included in the law on the protection of minors in digital environments.

Thirdly, Sánchez referred to the action aimed at "protecting children's and young people's mental health". After describing the initiatives promoted by the Government in this area, which are making it possible to increase the number of clinical psychologists, create specific child and youth care units, incorporate mental health into the school environment and develop suicide prevention programmes, the president remarked that "for the first time, Spain is tackling mental health as a State priority, with stable funding and measurable objectives."

On this point, Sánchez pointed out that "the autonomous communities have unprecedented resources to be able to act in this area" and also have "the outstretched hand" of the Executive for cooperation, consensus, and to redouble efforts in the face of "a shared common objective such as the protection of the mental health of our young people and our children".

During his speech, President Sánchez highlighted the immense potential of technology, but also warned of its risks and pointed out that "we cannot allow the digital space to be a kind of Wild West where people insult, threaten with impunity or abuse without consequences. "We cannot accept what we would never allow offline as normal online. Especially when the potential victims are our children and adolescents." "Protecting them is protecting freedom, equal opportunities and the future of the country," he concluded.

Speech by Óscar López

The Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Function, Óscar López, during his speech | Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

The event, which was attended by the Minister for Youth and Children, Sira Rego, was also attended by the Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Function, Óscar López, who, after recalling that 92% of families are highly concerned about the content their children access, clearly advocated "regulating" and "protecting", in line with what the different governments within the European Union advocate.

This is not only about our technological sovereignty, he said, but also about "data privacy, cybersecurity, protection of minors". "This is the debate, not only in Spain, but in Europe as a whole, because regulation and protection are not incompatible with innovation", they do not imply involution, but rather the opposite.

He also insisted on the appeal to the parliamentary forces to support the important laws that the government has sent to the Lower House and in which "we are gambling with the defence of democracy and the defence and future of our minors."

Non official translation