JAVIER ZARZALEJOS CALLS FOR AN URGENT EUROPEAN RESPONSE TO PROTECT MINORS ON SOCIAL NETWORKS DURING AN EVENT ORGANIZED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IN SPAIN
On October 24th, MEP Javier Zarzalejos was one of the main speakers at the conference “How to Protect Minors on Social Media,” held at the European Parliament Office in Spain. Zarzalejos took part in the second panel of the day, focused on combating online child sexual abuse, alongside the Director of FAD Juventud, Beatriz Martín Padura, and the founder of the project “El origen del mal,” Beatriz Izquierdo Pliego, under the moderation of journalist Lucas Proto.
The discussion addressed emerging challenges in the detection, prevention, and prosecution of online child sexual abuse, with particular attention to the role of artificial intelligence, criminal networks, and the need to strengthen the European legislative response.
In his remarks, the MEP warned of the “critical” situation facing the protection of minors in the digital environment and called for decisive European-level action to combat online child sexual abuse.
Zarzalejos stressed that “there is no dilemma between protection and privacy,” insisting that both principles can and must be safeguarded simultaneously. He also warned about the increase in child sexual abuse material online and the growing sophistication of predators, who use both extortion strategies and generative and conversational AI tools.
He recalled that the European Parliament adopted its position on the regulation to prevent and combat such content two years ago, but lamented that Member States have still not reached an agreement to move forward: “The delay is unsustainable. Either we act now, or the situation will explode.”
After emphasizing the shared responsibility of institutions, platforms, and civil society, he called for harmonized and directly applicable European legislation that would enable effective action against a cross-border and rapidly worsening phenomenon.
A conference focused on digital child protection
The event was opened by the Director of the European Parliament Office in Spain, María Andrés Marín, and the Minister for Digital Transformation, Óscar López, who both highlighted the importance of strengthening children’s digital safety from all institutional angles.
This was followed by an address from Carlos Aguilar, Commissioner at the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC), who discussed the role of oversight and regulation in an increasingly complex and dynamic digital ecosystem.
The first roundtable, dedicated to the impact of social networks on minors’ mental health, brought together MEP Laura Ballarín Cereza (S&D), the president of Adolescencia Libre de Móviles, María Fernández Andújar, and the Director-General of Red.es, Jesús Herrero, in a dialogue moderated by El Confidencial journalist Lucas Proto Martínez Royo. The speakers analyzed the relationship between hyperconnectivity, online social pressure, and young people’s emotional well-being, as well as the preventive measures needed to mitigate these effects.