On October 2, the Congress of Deputies held a Conference on the Protection of Minors in the Digital Environment, organized by the professor of criminal law Alvaro Alzina Lozano in collaboration with the Popular Party parliamentary group in Congress.
The event was attended by academics, experts in criminal and international law, as well as political representatives. This event addressed one of the most pressing concerns of today's society, and was marked by an enriching debate on ways to protect minors in the growing digital environment.
The opening was led by Noelia Núñez González, member of the Cortes Generales of Spain and deputy secretary of Mobilisation and Digital Challenge of the Partido Popular. During her speech, she highlighted the need to develop effective policies to address the risks to which young people are exposed in the digital sphere, and underlined the importance of cooperation between the public, private and academic sectors to address these challenges.
Rosario de Vicente Martínez, professor of Criminal Law at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, then offered an exhaustive analysis of the protection of the sexual freedom of minors in the digital environment. She pointed out the threats faced by young people and the need to advance in the regulation and protection of their rights.
José León Alapont, a professor at the University of Valencia, focused his speech on the draft law on the protection of minors in digital environments. His technical analysis offered a critical view of the legislative measures in progress, highlighting both the progress made and the pending challenges.
Finally, Gabriel Martín Rodríguez, assistant professor at the Rey Juan Carlos University, closed the day by explaining the impact of the Artificial Intelligence Regulation on the protection of minors in Europe. In his speech, he addressed all the instruments at a supranational level that could serve to tackle the problem, and offered a prospective analysis of digital regulation in the EU.
The event was moderated by Álvaro Alzina Lozano, a PhD Professor at the Rey Juan Carlos University, and brought together a diverse audience of students from the faculty and professionals interested in the intersection between law and technology in the defense of the rights of minors.
In addition, at the end of the presentations, Noelia Núñez González offered the attendees a guided tour of the Congress of Deputies. During the tour, participants were able to see first-hand some of the most emblematic rooms of Congress, as well as the historic hemicycle.
The Rey Juan Carlos University had a significant presence at the meeting, demonstrating its commitment to research and academic debate on major social challenges, in this case, the protection of minors in digital environments.