The Spanish government has presented a newly-adopted Digital Rights Charter at an event attended by the country’s president Pedro Sanchez. The text is non-regulatory in nature but is designed to provide a reference framework to guarantee citizens' rights in the digital environment, above all in areas such as artificial intelligence, net neutrality, algorithmic non-discrimination and the protection of minors. "These rights are groundbreaking… and serve to demonstrate once again that Spain is ready to lead the way in fighting for rights around the world,” said Sanchez.
The Charter includes six main categories of rights, covering areas of uncertainty and risk such as rights of freedom, rights of equality, rights of participation and shaping the public space, rights of the working and business environment, digital rights in specific environments, and rights of guarantees and efficiencies. With regard to artificial intelligence, the text states that AI should ensure a people-centred approach and that the right to non-discrimination in the development of AI systems should be guaranteed.
Sanchez said the publication of the charter fulfils one of the promises of the government’s Spain Digital Agenda 2025, which is in turn one of the cornerstones of the country's Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, recently approved by the European Commission. Under the plan, the government committed to allocating around 28 percent of funds (EUR 70 billion) to the “digital transformation” of the economy.
