In this interview on the TV3 program “Més nit”, conducted in the context of the announcement of a proposal to ban access to social media for minors under the age of 16 in Spain, Liliana Arroyo, director of the Chair for Socially Responsible Digital Innovation (SoReDI) and professor and researcher at Esade, reflects on the technical and legal challenges involved in implementing this measure and on the role of digital platforms in this debate.

During the conversation, the use of digital credentials to verify users’ age without revealing additional personal data is discussed. The experience of Australia is also mentioned, where similar restrictions have been applied, as well as the difficulties in enforcing them when young users employ common strategies to bypass them.

The interview also addresses the debate on possible regulatory changes aimed at increasing platform accountability, including proposals that could make platform executives responsible for certain harms caused on social networks or regulate the functioning of algorithms. According to Arroyo, this debate sends an important message about the need to avoid evading responsibility in a digital environment that significantly shapes social relations and the public sphere.

The discussion also reflects on the business model of digital platforms and its effects on how relationships and public debate are shaped online, as well as on the importance of exploring alternatives that do not rely exclusively on the attention economy.

Watch interview (Language: Catalan)