P o ec ion o mino s in he Eu opean digi al
audio isual con ex : a necessa y dialogue be ween
pa en s, academy, egula o s and indus y
Au o a Labio-Be nal
Facul y o Communica ion, Uni e si y o Se ille, Spain
Lo ena R. Rome o-Domínguez
Facul y o Communica ion, Uni e si y o Se ille, Spain
Ma ía José Ga cía-O a
Facul y o Communica ion, Uni e si y o Se ille, Spain
Abs ac
This pape ep esen s he ini ial phase o a la ge p ojec being de eloped by he “Media,
communica ion policy and democ acy in he Eu opean Union” esea ch g oup, which is cu -
en ly wo king on he s udy “Communica ion policies, SVOD pla o ms and alues educa ion o
mino s in he single digi al ma ke (2020-2022)”. We wish o pu sue in his s udy ha , beyond
echnological conside a ions, i is necessa y o expand he scope o child p o ec ion by es ablish-
ing mu ual collabo a ion be ween egula o s, dis ibu o s and ideo on demand se ices, as well
as consume s and pa en s’ o ganisa ions, in an e o o u he enhance coope a ion and mu ual
unde s anding (Eu opean Regula o s G oup o Audio isual Media Se ices, 2017b, p. 75). I is
o his eason ha we belie e ha he academic sphe e can also be in i ed in o his wide- anging
discussion on child p o ec ion o con ibu e e lec ions on a key aspec : audio isual and media
educa ion, an essen ial pilla o p o ec ion in addi ion o il e s, ex e nal limi s, and elec onic
labelling. We hus uphold a ision ha no only conside s he “digi al s u ” bu also highligh s
he need o “e hos s u ” (Goggin, 2008, p.89). In his espec , we ha e conside ed i essen ial a
li e a u e e iew on he concep o media li e acy. Secondly, ou quali a i e me hodology in ol es
an analysis o he ins uc ions issued by he Eu opean Union and hei implemen a ion in Spain.
In his s age, we ha e conduc ed desk esea ch based on a na a i e analysis o he documen s
and p og ams o di e en ins i u ions in o de o cha he e olu ion o he ques ion in ecen
yea s, a a ime when he digi al en i onmen has changed mo e quickly han e e be o e. This
same ype o analysis is also conduc ed on he ini ia i es o Eu opean and Spanish companies o
de e mine whe he hey a e implemen ing child p o ec ion s a egies.
Keywo ds
digi al li e acy; mino s; p o ec ion; Eu ope; egula o s
Comunicação e Sociedade, ol. 37, 2020, pp. 127-146
h ps://doi.o g/10.17231/comsoc.37(2020).2162
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P o eção dos meno es no con ex o digi al
eu opeu: um diálogo necessá io en e pais,
academia, egulado es e indús ia
Resumo
Es e a igo ep esen a a ase inicial de um p oje o mais as o conduzido pelo g upo de
in es igação “Media, polí ica de comunicação e democ acia na União Eu opeia” que es á a ual-
men e a desen ol e o es udo “Polí icas de comunicação, pla a o mas SVOD e educação de
alo es pa a meno es no me cado único digi al (2020-2022)”. Nes e es udo, p e endemos ex-
plo a a ideia de que, além das conside ações ecnológicas, é necessá io ala ga o âmbi o da
p o eção in an il, es abelecendo colabo ação mú ua en e en idades egulado as, dis ibuido es
e se iços de ídeo on demand, bem como o ganizações de consumido es e de pais, num es o ço
pa a melho a ainda mais a coope ação e o en endimen o mú uo (G upo Eu opeu de Regula-
do es dos Se iços de Comunicação Audio isuais, 2017b, p. 75). Tendo po base es e obje i o,
conside amos que a es e a académica ambém pode se con idada pa a es e ab angen e deba e
sob e p o eção in an il, a im de con ibui pa a um aspe o undamen al: a educação audio isual
e mediá ica como um pila essencial de p o eção, além de il os, limi es ex e nos e o ulagem
ele ónica. Assim, de endemos uma isão que conside a não apenas os aspe os digi ais (digi al
s u ), mas ambém des aca a necessidade de aspe os é icos (e hos s u ) (Goggin, 2008, p.89).
A esse espei o, é essencial uma e isão da li e a u a sob e o concei o de li e acia mediá ica. A
me odologia quali a i a en ol e uma análise das indicações da União Eu opeia e a sua imple-
men ação em Espanha. Nes a ase, ealizámos pesquisas de dados secundá ios com base numa
análise na a i a dos documen os e p og amas de di e en es ins i uições, a im de mapea a
e olução da ques ão nos úl imos anos, num momen o em que o ambien e digi al mudou mui o
apidamen e. Es e ipo de análise ambém é conduzido nas inicia i as de emp esas eu opeias e
espanholas, no sen ido de de e mina se es ão a implemen a es a égias de p o eção à c iança.
Pala as-cha e
li e acia digi al; meno es; p o eção; Eu opa; egulado es
In oduc ion
In he in oduc ion o i s epo P o ec ion o mino s in he audio isual media se ices:
ends & p ac ices, he Eu opean Regula o s G oup o Audio isual Media Se ices (ERGA,
2017b) makes special e e ence o he need o collabo a ion be ween media companies
and egula o s o p o ide ools and mechanisms ha will enable pa en s o p o ec hei
child en in he digi al e a in acco dance wi h hei p e e ences (p. 4).
Mo eo e , a ew mon hs ago, a he “P o uldig Con e ence”, we p esen ed e e -
ences o how, in he academic sphe e, esea ch by Lie ens, Li ings one, McLaughlin,
O’Neill and Ve dood (2018), Po e and S eeme s (2017), and o he s, p o ided e idence
o he need o egula e he cu en audio isual en i onmen in o de o p o ec chil-
d en. Al hough hese s udies once again demons a ed he complexi y o he issue in a
globalised wo ld, he e seems o be a consensus among academics on basic common
issues o ensu e he p o ec ion o mino s. We e en d ew some in e es ing conclusions
in ou s udy on he p oposal pu o wa d by Li ings one and Thi d (2017) in ela ion o
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using he echnological deba e o demand digni y and p o ec ion o child en in con ex s
o disad an age. In his way, we also ied in wi h he deba e be ween digi al compe ence
and in o ma ional digi al compe ence, a deba e ha ine i ably leads us o media li e acy
(A ea & Gua o, 2012; Val e de, de P o-Bueno & González, 2018).
A no able ea u e o he epo p oduced by ERGA (2017a, p. 68) is he p oposal o
a echnical expe ience and pilo p ojec called “Mi acle”, aimed a de eloping a s anda d-
ised elec onic model o age-based classi ica ion in he audio isual con ex ha would
be applicable ac oss bo de s and o di e en digi al de ices. I is impo an o bea in
mind ha a ew yea s ago he consump ion o audio isual con en by mino s could
be con olled by means o age-based classi ica ion and labelling on di e en p oduc s
consumed ou side he elec onic con ex . Howe e , he new ou es o online access o
audio isual con en equi e a new way o hinking abou he in o ma ion ha such clas-
si ica ions p o ide. Wi h his in mind, he “Mi acle” p ojec was launched o p o ide a
unique age-based classi ica ion and labelling sys em based on exis ing models. In his
way, he expe ience highligh ed how c oss- e e encing he da a on hese classi ica ions
could be use ul o he indus y, educa ional ins i u ions, and use s. The pa icipa ing
conso ia we e he B i ish Boa d o Film Classi ica ion (BBFC), he Ne he lands Ins i u e
o Classi ica ion o Audio isual Media (NICAM), he au ho i y ha manages he Pan-
Eu opean ideo game sel - egula ion sys em (PEGI), he Ge man Associa ion o Vol-
un a y Sel -Regula ion o Digi al Media Se ice P o ide s (FSM), and he Na ional Sa e
In e ne Cen e in he Czech Republic. All hese o ganisa ions pa icipa ed in “Mi acle”
in an e o o de elop an ecosys em o age-based elec onic and online labelling (in a-
s uc u es, se ices, and apps) ha could be applied o he same con en , ega dless o
he ju isdic ion, and o he di e en EU membe s, e en when hey ha e di e en legisla-
ion ela ed o child p o ec ion.
Ano he aspec ha we belie e is o ele ance o ou s udy is he ecogni ion o he
indisc imina e use o di e en de ices by child en o consume con en , as shown in he
ollowing igu e.
Figu e 1: In e ope abili y (p ojec “Mi acle”)
Sou ce: ERGA, 2017a, p. 7
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In Spain, o example, he de ices ha mino s use mos o access he in e ne a e
mobile phones (76%), ollowed by sma TVs (72%), ideo consoles (29%), compu e s
(28%), and able s (26%), acco ding o he epo Ac i idades, mediación, opo unidades y
iesgos online de los meno es en la e a de la con e gencia mediá ica (Ga mendia e al., 2019,
p. 17). Acco ding o he igu e shown abo e, he single classi ica ion sys em p oposed by
“Mi acle” is also in ended o be ope able o all de ices and o coexis wi h o he il e s
like pa en al con ol, while also po en ially se ing con en p o ide s and being applied
o new da a se ices.
Howe e , despi e he in e es ing con ibu ions o e ed by “Mi acle”, we ha e o
poin ou ha , like o he EU ini ia i es, i is no a manda o y p ojec and he e o e i is up
o he membe coun ies o olun a ily choose whe he o adop i .
Bu beyond his echnological conside a ion, he ERGA (2017b, p. 75) e-
po concludes ha i is necessa y o expand he scope o child p o ec ion
by es ablishing mu ual collabo a ion be ween egula o s, dis ibu o s and
ideo on demand (VOD) se ices, as well as consume s and pa en s’ o -
ganisa ions, in an e o o u he enhance coope a ion and mu ual unde -
s anding. I e en poin s o he possibili y o es ablishing a documen o a
b oade public in he o m o a bes p ac ices guide.
Hypo hesis and objec i es
This is p ecisely he line o esea ch we wish o pu sue in his s udy, mo ing be-
yond a me ely echnological model. I is o his eason ha we belie e ha he academic
sphe e can also be in i ed in o his wide- anging discussion on child p o ec ion o con-
ibu e e lec ions on a key aspec : audio isual and media educa ion, an essen ial pilla o
p o ec ion in addi ion o il e s, ex e nal limi s, and elec onic labelling. We hus uphold
a ision ha no only conside s he “digi al s u ” bu also highligh s he need o “e hos
s u ” (Goggin, 2008, p. 89).
Based on hese conside a ions, o his esea ch we posi ed he ollowing hypo heses:
1. echnological ools (pa en al con ol, age labelling, and il e ing sys ems) a e no enough o p o ec
mino s in he digi al en i onmen ;
2. he mechanisms o p e en ha m and isks o mino s need o be based on a new way o iewing
media li e acy as a ask sha ed be ween egula o s, pa en s, educa o s, and con en p oduce s.
To es hese hypo heses, we p oposed a se ies o objec i es. The i s o hese in-
ol es a e iew o he de ini ion o media li e acy in an e o o unde s and how new ways
o consuming equi e us o eassess wha media li e acy is and who is esponsible o
eaching i . I is also essen ial o examine he o de s and ins uc ions issued by he Eu o-
pean Union o e he yea s in o de o analyse he e olu ion o he discou se, om he i s
app oaches based on he use o echnological ools o he la es p og ams p omo ing he
c ea ion o quali y con en and he ac i e ole o mino s in he de elopmen o he kind o
c i ical awa eness hey need o make sa e use o online spaces as c ea o s and consume s.
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Finally, we a e in e es ed in de e mining how hese p og ams ha e been implemen ed in
Spain and also in s udying he ole o he indus y in his coun y in p omo ing ini ia i es
ha ecognise he sec o ’s esponsibili y o he p o ec ion o child en and you h.
Me hodology
Fo his esea ch, we ha e adop ed a quali a i e me hodology wi h a c i ical dimen-
sion. In his espec , we ha e conside ed i essen ial in ou esea ch o adop a me hod-
ology ha includes, i s o all, a li e a u e e iew on he concep o media li e acy. We
belie e ha any analysis o he p o ec ion o mino s in he digi al en i onmen mus
begin wi h a heo e ical amewo k ha can help iden i y he di e en app oaches o and
pe spec i es on media educa ion. This will hen make i possible o de e mine he issues
posed by he di e en app oaches and also o con i m he in ellec ual s ance on which
o base he s udy. The jus i ica ion o his heu is ic phase o ou me hodology lies in he
ac ha i in ol es cha ac e ising he p oblem as an academic discussion and iden i y-
ing heo ies ha can se e o desc ibe i and con ibu e o a ede ini ion o media li e acy.
Secondly, ou quali a i e me hodology in ol es an analysis o he ins uc ions is-
sued by he Eu opean Union and hei implemen a ion in Spain. In his s age, we ha e
conduc ed desk esea ch based on a e iew o di e en ypes o documen s ( epo s, di-
ec i es, s a egy documen s, summa ies, comme cial ag ees be ween mobile ope a o s,
code o conduc and e hic o elecommunica ions companies, wo k pape s, e c.) o Eu o-
pean ins i u ions and indus y o ganisa ions (Council o Eu ope, Eu opean Pa liamen ,
Eu opean Commission, Eu opean Audio isual Obse a o y, Eu opean Regula o s G oup
o Audio isual Media Se ices, GSMA, ICT Coali ion), in o de o cha he e olu ion o
he ques ion om 1996 o he p esen , when he digi al en i onmen has changed mo e
quickly han e e be o e. This same ype o analysis is also conduc ed on he ini ia i es o
Spanish companies (Na ional Commission on Ma ke s and Compe i ion [CNMC], Me-
diase , Tele ónica, Voda one, Filmin) o de e mine whe he hey a e implemen ing child
p o ec ion s a egies. The e iew, in bo h le els, ha e in ol ed nex s eps: iden i ica ion
o he opic o esea ch (mino s, online, p o ec ion), iden i ica ion o documen sou ces
(o icial/nono icial; go e nmen /non-go e nmen ; public/p i a e o comme cial); com-
pa a ion be ween ins i u ional ecommenda ions and p ac ical applica ions by indus y
o ganisa ions and inal conclusions.
Towa ds a new kind o media li e acy
I is clea ly a demons able ac ha new echnologies, he use o mobile de ices,
and he possibili ies o he in e ne ha e changed no only he way we p oduce and
consume con en , bu e en he way we pa icipa e in cul u al ac i i ies and ela e o one
ano he . I was some yea s ago ha he Eu opean Union began aking special no e o
he isks, bu also he oppo uni ies, ha he in e ne o e s mino s. A key poin e ol es
a ound knowing wha ools can be used o o e media educa ion o child en so ha hey

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can eel p o ec ed in he digi al en i onmen . One majo issue ha may eme ge ela es
o skills de elopmen , as he e appea s o be an assump ion ha he mo e child en
know abou digi al, s uc u al (use) and s a egic (applicable) compe encies, he less
ulne able hey will be o he isks o online in e ac ion, such as cybe bullying, g ooming
(sexual ha assmen ) o in asion o p i acy. Howe e , au ho s like Sonck and de Haan
(2014) ha e ound ha he acquisi ion o such skills does no always gua an ee p o ec-
ion om isks. In ac , he s udies conduc ed on his ques ion (Li ings one & Helspe ,
2010; Sonck, Kuipe & de Haan, 2012) ha e p oduced “inconclusi e esul s wi h ega d
o he e ec i eness o digi al skills in keeping young people sa e on he in e ne . I has
been ound ha mo e skills coincide wi h mo e isks and ha e no signi ican e ec in
p e en ing unwan ed expe iences” (Sonck & de Haan, 2014, p. 97). These esea che s
also poin o an in e es ing conside a ion o ou pape when hey p opose a mo e in-
dep h explo a ion o hese digi al skills, connec ing hem wi h media li e acy (Sonck &
de Haan, 2014, p. 90).
O e he yea s, he iew o media li e acy has aken an indi idualised e hical
posi ion in ela ion o he consump ion and selec ion o audio isual con-
en (O’Neill, 2010, p. 323). Howe e , in a con ex o inc easing possibili ies
o choosing con en on mul iple de ices in eal ime and on demand, he
ques ion o media educa ion becomes a complex ma e o se e al easons.
The i s o hese is he need o cla i y wha we mean by media li e acy, as alling
unde his e m a e o he concep s like in o ma ional, audio isual and digi al li e acy.
This is why Kol ay (2011, p. 212) de ines media educa ion as “an umb ella concep ” ha
can be ackled om di e en pe spec i es. A he same ime, Co des (2009, p. 3) pu s
o wa d he iew o a mul imodal o m o li e acy as “ he syn hesis o mul iple modes o
communica ion (…) The mul imodal objec can equi e a ange o ools, skills, and sensi-
bili ies and o en e lec s collabo a i e as well as indi idual e o ”. Along he same lines,
Tyne (2003, p. 373) speaks o di e en o ms o mul ili e acy as a way o add essing he
needs o media, digi al, isual, o compu e li e acy. In ou s udy, we wan o s ess ha
we will be using he e m media li e acy wi h a de ini ion ha ex ends o he audio isual
and digi al con ex s. Acco ding o he esea che s Thoman and Jolls (2004, pp. 23-24),
he cha ac e is ics o his kind o media educa ion a e as ollows:
1. media li e acy is ocused on p ocess mo e han con en . In his sense, wha ma e s is no so much
he echnological aspec as he capaci y o iden i y p oblems, lea n concep s, and gene a e connec-
ions and ideas based on a media message (whe he in p in o elec onic);
2. media li e acy b oadens he concep o ex , as ex s a e no only w i en bu also e bal o audio-
isual, mul imedia and digi al;
3. media li e acy is cha ac e ised by he p inciple o ques ioning and c i icism o he impo an aspec s
eme ging om he media ecosys em.
Media li e acy he e o e has he objec i e o p omo ing a c i ical pe spec i e and
expanding he in ellec ual capaci ies o c ea e ci izens a he han me e consume s, ca-
pable o exe cising hei ci ic esponsibili y in democ a ic socie ies.
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The second eason o he complexi y o media li e acy lies in he ques ion o who
should be esponsible o eaching i . In his espec , we again ag ee wi h Sonck and de
Haan (2014) when hey speak o an educa ional p ocess sha ed by he amily, school,
go e nmen , and indus y. They also speak o mu ual collabo a ion among mino s hem-
sel es in he de elopmen o hei esponsible use o he in e ne . We would hus a gue
ha media li e acy needs o be aken on as a ask sha ed by pa en s, educa ional ins i u-
ions, egula o y bodies and con en p o ide s. I is a ask aimed a de eloping a c i ical
a i ude in child en so ha hey a e able o disce n which con en may be ha m ul.
This in eg a i e iew o media li e acy was also pu o wa d ecen ly in he epo
i led Looking o wa d: echnological and social change in he li es o Eu opean child en and
young people (Blum-Ross e al., 2018). This epo ook he inno a i e app oach o ga he -
ing opinions h ough in e iews conduc ed wi h he indus y and h ough ocus g oups
ha included pa en s, young people, and educa o s om i e EU membe s a es: Bel-
gium, Bulga ia, Ge many, I eland and I aly. Indus y ep esen a i es included Al ice Po -
ugal, Facebook, Google, Telia, Voda one, and O ange.
One o he mos in e es ing conside a ions o his epo , o example, is he idea
ha pa en s can ac as “media men o s”, “no only helping child en ind esou ces bu
also modelling good beha iou s hemsel es” (Blum-Ross e al., 2018, p. 19). We ag ee
ha he ask o pa en s should be no only o se guidelines bu also o encou age hei
child en’s empowe men h ough an educa ion in alues, which should be unde s ood
as ano he aspec o pa en al ca e. Sonck and de Haan (2014, p. 98), o example, de-
sc ibe di e en s a egies like ac i e media ion, he applica ion o echnical es ic ions,
he es ablishmen o s anda ds o es ic ions and moni o ing o in e ne use. One poin
ha we belie e is impo an in his espec is ela ed o he need o aise awa eness
among pa en s abou he in oduc ion o online consump ion as a eali y in he educa-
ion o hei child en.
Ob iously, his pa en al wo k ex ends o he school. In he a o emen ioned epo ,
o example, he esea che s a gue ha all s akeholde s in educa ion need o wo k o-
ge he , om pa en s o eache s and school au ho i ies. The esea che s a e hus clea ly
awa e ha “child p o ec ion” is a “huge issue which can only be ackled when esponsi-
bili y is sha ed and when he whole school communi y is ac i ely in ol ed” (Blum-Ross
e al., 2018, p. 25).
Eu ope’s ole
The Eu opean Union has also esponded ac i ely o he need o p o ec mino s,
especially in he new digi al en i onmen . As ea ly as 1996, he Eu opean Commission
published he G een pape : p o ec ion o mino s and human digni y in audio isual and in-
o ma ion se ices (Eu opean Commission, 1996a), which ecognised he impo ance o
his issue, abo e all because he new media pla o ms could con ibu e mo e isibly and
ela i ely quickly han adi ional media o make his ype o con en mo e accessible o
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mino s. While he G een pape was a s a ing poin , i would be he Communica ion on
illegal and ha m ul con en on he in e ne (Eu opean Commission, 1996b) ha would
p opose he i s speci ic con ol measu es o he p o ec ion o mino s, no h ough an
awa eness o censo ship bu h ough he c ea ion o a c i ical app oach o he use o on-
line con en . To do his, he Commission adop ed a a he nai e s a ing poin ocused
only on echnological s anda ds, co e ing pa en al con ol so wa e, con en il e ing sys-
ems and an age-based labelling sys em.
Al hough i was no a monoli hic p oposal, and de e ed in all cases o he p inciple
o subsidia i y, he Commission laid he ounda ions o a ange o p og ams o he p o-
ec ion o child en in he digi al en i onmen , wi h an awa eness, as he Eu opean Audio-
isual Obse a o y (EAO, 2012) s a es in i s epo s P o ec ion o mino s and audio isual
con en on-demand (2012-6), o he need o e alua e and e hink he egula o y and legal
amewo k p o ec ing mino s in he audio isual en i onmen in keeping wi h he dyna-
mism and changing na u e o he media landscape: a landscape o which he model de-
ined in he EU Audio isual Di ec i e (Di ec i e [EU] 2018/1808) was no longe ele an .
Acknowledging ha he model o he p o ec ion o mino s in he audio isual en i on-
men was ansi ioning o he online wo ld, he new ci cums ances b ough abou by he
in e ne ha e made i impossible o apply he adi ional p o ec ion s anda ds.
Figu e 2: Compa a i e audio isual chain in adi ional and online ecosys em
Sou ce: ERGA, 2015, p.47
These pa ame e s ha e been applied o he de elopmen o he di e en s ages
o he “Ac ion plan o a sa e in e ne ”, c ea ed in 1999 o p omo e an en i onmen
a ou able o he de elopmen o he in e ne - ela ed indus y, by encou aging sa e use
o he web and comba ing illegal and ha m ul con en . The basic pilla s o ac ion (sa e y
h ough a Eu opean ne wo k o ho lines o epo ing illegal con en , he de elopmen
o con en classi ica ion and il e ing sys ems, ini ia i es o aise awa eness and edu-
ca e h ough media li e acy p og ams, and he de elopmen o sel - egula ion ini ia i es)
ha e been main ained in he successi e s ages o he plan’s implemen a ion, al hough
in all o hese a eas he e has been an inc eased awa eness o he impo ance o issues
ela ed o he p o ec ion o mino s, hei digni y and hei p i acy wi h he inc easing ole
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P o ec ion o mino s in he Eu opean digi al audio isual con ex . Au o a Labio-Be nal, Lo ena R. Rome o-Domínguez & Ma ía José Ga cía-O a
played by echnology in hei e e yday li es (acco ding o Commission da a, one ou o
e e y h ee in e ne use s in he EU is a child1).
Thus, he second s age o he p og am (“Sa e in e ne plus”, 2005-2008) high-
ligh ed he need o expand he s a egies o ac ion in iew o he changes aking place in
he wo ld o communica ions.
In 2009, he hi d s age was launched, in he con ex o a consolida ed online en-
i onmen used mo e and mo e ac i ely by child en e en hough hey a e also especially
ulne able.
The in ense ac i i y o Eu opean ins i u ions in his a ea since he implemen a ion
o he i s p ojec (EAO, 2015) has esul ed in a ange o ini ia i es: he “do SAFE” p o-
g am; he “Sa e in e ne o um” (since 2004) wi h ep esen a i es om he indus y,
legal au ho i ies, legisla i e ins i u ions and ci il o ganisa ions (pa en - eache associa-
ions, consume g oups, child p o ec ion g oups, e c.); Insa e and INHOPE (global ne -
wo k o ho lines o epo ing illegal con en online and wi h a commi men o elimina -
ing online child sexual abuse); “EU kids online” (mapping expe iences o child en online
o assess isks and sa e y on websi es); “Mediapp o” (media li e acy p ojec ); he c ea-
ion o he “SIP-Bench” p og am (pa en al con ol s a egies); he celeb a ion o Sa e In-
e ne Day; he c ea ion o he “In e ne go e nance o um”; he es ablishmen o poin s
o con ac whe e child en can ge answe s o hei ques ions abou how o na iga e he
in e ne sa ely and o comba cybe bullying and online sexual abuse hanks o he wo k o
Sa e In e ne Cen es (SICs); he Poscon (Posi i e Online Con en and Se ices o Chil-
d en in Eu ope) Ne wo k; Eu opean NGO Alliance o Child Sa e y Online; Ne Child en
Go Mobile; SPIRTO (Sel -P oduced Images Risk Taking Online), e c.
The inal s age began in 2014 and is s ill unde way oday, ocusing on ou main
a eas o ac ion:
1. encou age he p oduc ion o c ea i e and educa ional online con en o child en and p omo e posi-
i e online expe iences o small child en;
2. inc ease awa eness and empowe men , including eaching digi al li e acy and online sa e y a all
schools in he EU;
3. c ea e a sa e en i onmen o child en h ough age-app op ia e p i acy con igu a ions, wide use o
pa en al con ols, and age-based and con en -based classi ica ion;
4. comba online child sexual abuse ma e ial and sexual exploi a ion o child en.
The s a ing poin o his s age was he Commission o he Eu opean Pa liamen ,
he Council, he Eu opean Economic and Social Commi ee and he Commi ee o he
Regions Eu opean S a egy o a Be e In e ne o Child en, published by he Eu opean
Commission (2012), which examines he bigges challenges o he online sec o in ma -
e s o child p o ec ion. I was comple ed wi h he elease o he Council conclusions on he
Eu opean s a egy o a be e in e ne o child en (Council o he Eu opean Union, 2012),
which in oduced a new line o ac ion dedica ed o he p omo ion o quali y con en o
mino s, designed o comple e he lines o ac ion o he i s h ee s ages.
1 Re ie ed om h ps://ec.eu opa.eu/digi al-single-ma ke /en/con en /c ea ing-be e -in e ne -kids-0
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P o ec ion o mino s in he Eu opean digi al audio isual con ex . Au o a Labio-Be nal, Lo ena R. Rome o-Domínguez & Ma ía José Ga cía-O a
o he hand, egula o s need o es ablish limi s ha do no cons i u e a subs i u e o pa-
en al con ol o an excessi e bu den on con en p o ide s. Mo eo e , pa en s also need
o ake esponsibili y o he ype o con en hei child en consume, aking in o accoun
he disc imina o y capaci ies o mino s. And on his ques ion, he academic esea ch
conduc ed should include s udies o media li e acy, gi en ha p o ec ing child en also
in ol es educa ing hem in media consump ion.
As we ha e jus sugges ed, his is no easy ask, as we a e dealing wi h a p oblem
ha equi es dialogue be ween educa o s, egula o y bodies, con en p o ide s, and pa -
en s. In his sense, we belie e bo h he egula ion o he sec o and media li e acy o be
impo an , as bo h a e iden i ied as necessa y o he p o ec ion o mino s in he digi al
con ex . Fu he mo e, al hough i is beyond he scope o his pape , we also wan o
highligh he ole o child en hemsel es in he acquisi ion o skills ha will enable hem
o c ea e con en as pa o hei audio isual educa ion in he digi al en i onmen , as an
impo an subjec o u u e esea ch.
Finally, we o e a se ies o conclusions ha con i m ou ini ial hypo heses and
poin o possibili ies o u u e esea ch:
1. pa en s play an essen ial ole in he p o ec ion o mino s in he digi al en i onmen , bu his ole
canno be limi ed o echnological con ols. The amily needs o unde s and ha alues educa ion
is a necessa y pa o pa en al ca e and o media li e acy;
2. he ask o educa ion in media li e acy needs o be sha ed by pa en s and educa ional ins i u ions,
bu also by Eu opean egula o y bodies and con en p o ide s. I is no he exclusi e esponsibili y
o schools, bu an obliga ion o be assumed by socie y as a whole;
3. he ul ima e objec i e o his mu ual collabo a ion be ween he indus y, egula o s, pa en s, and
educa o s is o help child en o de elop skills and compe encies ha will enable hem o hink c i i-
cally and o c ea e quali y con en as pa o hei digi al educa ion.
In his s udy we we e in e es ed in conduc ing a heo e ical deba e and analysis o
esea ch and expe imen s ca ied ou by academics, egula o s and companies as pa
o he cu en Eu opean ci cums ances. The e o e, we did no conside i necessa y o
men ion he conclusions eached by he Fo um G oup as hei esea ch was based on
a local case. Fo his eason, in he nex phase o ou esea ch we p opose o include
hese conclusions as pa o a mo e egional analysis ha ex ends he s udy o he ac i e
ole o mino s hemsel es in he digi al en i onmen . In his way and ollowing s udies
such as The class: li ing and lea ning in he digi al age (Li ings one & Se on-G een, 2016),
ou in en ion is o do a ield analysis ha includes Spanish child en. Based on he ideas
d awn om he Fo um G oup, we plan o ca y ou a simila expe imen in ins i u es in
Andalusia wi h he aim o p omo ing he bes skills and c i ical hinking among mino s
ha enable hem o c ea e con en as pa o hei own digi al educa ion.
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Biog aphical no es
Au o a Labio-Be nal is Te nu ed Jou nalism Lec u e a he Uni e si y o Se ille.
PhD and Bachelo s Deg ee in Jou nalism, she is di ec o o he esea ch g oup “Media,
Communica ion Policies and Democ acy in he Eu opean Union” (DEMOC-MEDIA).
He esea ch ac i i y has ocused on Poli ical Economy o Communica ion and In o ma-
ion S uc u e. She has been a isi ing lec u e a he Uni e si y o Wes mins e (London)
and a he Au onomous Uni e si y o Ba celona (2010), she has also published he book
Communica ion, jou nalism and in o ma ion con ol.
ORCID: h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0001-5195-0012
Email: [email p o ec ed]
Add ess: School o Communica ion, Jou nalism II Sec ion, Uni e sidad de Se illa,
A da. Ame ico Vespucio s/n Ca uja Scien i ic and Technological Pa k, 41092 – Se illa,
Spain
Lo ena R. Rome o-Domínguez is Te nu ed Jou nalism Lec u e a he Uni e si y o
Se ille. PhD and Bachelo s Deg ee in Jou nalism, she is a membe o he esea ch g oup
“Media, Communica ion Policies, and Democ acy in he Eu opean Union” (DEMOC-
MEDIA). Specializing in he media si ua ion in Ge many, she has collabo a ed wi h he
Aus ian Academy o Science in he book Mediens uk u en und Medienpe o manz. She
has collabo a ed as a eache and esea che a he ollowing uni e si ies: Humbold Uni-
e si ä zu Be lin, Kons anz Uni e si ä , Ca di Uni e si y, Johannes-Gu enbe g Mainz
Uni e si ä and Os alia Uni e si ä .
ORCID: h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0001-6942-0183
Email: [email p o ec ed]
Add ess: School o Communica ion, Jou nalism II Sec ion, Uni e sidad de Se illa,
A da. Ame ico Vespucio s/n Ca uja Scien i ic and Technological Pa k, 41092 – Se illa,
Spain
Ma ía José Ga cía-O a. Bachelo s Deg ee and PhD in Jou nalism om he Uni-
e si y o Se illa. She is an associa e lec u e in he Facul y o Communica ion a he
Uni e si y o Se illa and a lec u e in he Mas e s Deg ee P og amme in Ins i u ional
Communica ion and Poli ics. In addi ion, she is a membe o he esea ch g oup “Me-
dia, Communica ion Policies, and Democ acy in he Eu opean Union”. He scien i ic
ac i i y has been de eloped bo h in he ield o ad e ising as well as in o he ields o
knowledge, highligh ed by elec o al poli ical communica ion, s uc u e o in o ma ion,
Comunicação e Sociedade, ol. 37, 2020
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P o ec ion o mino s in he Eu opean digi al audio isual con ex . Au o a Labio-Be nal, Lo ena R. Rome o-Domínguez & Ma ía José Ga cía-O a
he audio isual indus y, and new in o ma ion echnologies, wi h special a en ion gi en
o social ne wo ks.
ORCID: h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0002-3284-2005
Email: [email p o ec ed]
Add ess: School o Communica ion, Jou nalism II Sec ion, Uni e sidad de Se illa,
A da. Ame ico Vespucio s/n Ca uja Scien i ic and Technological Pa k, 41092 – Se illa,
Spain
* Submi ed: 04/11/2019
* Accep ed: 21/04/2020