The 'First International Meeting for Digital Rights' brings together global experts to address vulnerabilities, regulation and social challenges of an increasingly digitalized world.
For two days, Barcelona's Llotja de Mar has become a space for global debate on the future of digital life. The ' First International Meeting for Digital Rights ', organised by the Government of Spain and Mobile World Capital Barcelona , has brought together more than fifty international experts to analyse the challenges that will mark the next decade: privacy, identity, artificial intelligence, disinformation and the protection of minors.
The event is part of the new Digital Rights Observatory , a project that aims to place digital rights at the center of the public agenda. As Laia Corbella , Director of Institutional Relations and Communication at Mobile World Capital Barcelona, explains, “today we are celebrating the first international meeting on digital rights, a collaborative project that brings together more than 40 or 50 entities and that aims to generate awareness and create a space for reflection on digital rights.”
A digitalized, but vulnerable citizenry
One of the most outstanding data of the congress is the distance between the concept and the social perception. “Citizens do not know how to define exactly what digital rights are , but they do clearly identify their vulnerabilities”, explains Corbella. “We have a fully digitalized citizenry, but very aware of the risks surrounding disinformation, the use of data, privacy or digital identity ”.
Among the data presented, there is one that has generated absolute consensus: 95% of citizens believe that minors are not sufficiently protected on digital platforms . “This is where there is the most consensus,” Corbella emphasizes. “Beyond privacy or disinformation, the protection of children is perceived as a social urgency.”
The congress has featured international figures such as Frances Haugen , known for the 'Facebook Papers'; Yaël Eisenstat , an expert in digital policies; Carissa Véliz , a world leader in privacy; and Carl Öhman , a researcher on digital legacy. Their interventions have addressed issues such as AI governance, the fight against disinformation, cybersecurity as a pillar of technological sovereignty and identity in a hyperconnected world.
Barcelona, technological capital and now also ethical capital
For Corbella, it is no coincidence that the First International Congress of Digital Rights is being held in Barcelona . “ Barcelona already has a position in technology and innovation . It is the capital of the Mobile World Congress, the main event where the future of technology and industry is defined,” he explains.
With this new congress, the city takes another step: "Now we have the agora of thought . The space where the ethical future of the digital society is decided , where the rules and regulations are set. Here we talk about ethics, rules and how we define this digital society in which we are all already immersed."
Barcelona thus aspires to capitalize on a discourse of digital humanism , positioning itself as a European benchmark in the defense of technology centered on people.
The profile of the attendees has been as diverse as the challenges that have been discussed. “ We have speakers from academia, industry, and experts who have been working on digital platforms and big technology for 15, 20 or 30 years”, explains Corbella. “But also representatives of civil society , because it is essential to listen to the citizens and for them to feel represented”.
Corbella emphasizes that the digital society needs new institutions and new regulatory frameworks : "We come from an institutional model designed for industrial society. Now we must rebuild conversations, reflections and spaces for participation so that citizens can contribute to defining this new framework."
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