95% of respondents believe that minors are unprotected on the Internet and support measures such as parental controls, mandatory minimum age requirements for access to social media, and the regulation of advertising aimed at minors.
A large majority of respondents (71%) believe that participation on the Internet should be linked to mandatory identification, compared to 24% who defend anonymous participation.
The Survey on Social Perception of Digital Rights in Spain, conducted by Fundación ”la Caixa”, the University of Barcelona, Red.es, and Fundación Hermes, shows that 69% of respondents consider the current protection of digital rights to be insufficient, and that there is strong public demand for regulation to guarantee online safety.
Citizens are calling for effective protection of their rights in the digital world, particularly in matters that affect their daily lives and vulnerable groups such as minors. This is reflected in the Survey on the Social Perception of Digital Rights in Spain, the first study to assess the Spanish population’s knowledge of digital rights, as well as their views on the risks, challenges, and opportunities of the digital environment. It is a project developed by Fundación ”la Caixa”, Red.es, and Fundación Hermes in collaboration with the University of Barcelona, the 1st Global Digital Rights Forum, and presented today during the first day of the 1st International Meeting on Digital Rights, organized by the Government of Spain and Mobile World Capital Barcelona. The research offers the most comprehensive picture to date of how citizens experience and are affected by digital transformation.
Which digital rights should be protected by law?
AIn the face of risks associated with digitalization, respondents show broad consensus on the legal protection of particularly exposed activities. Nearly all citizens believe that privacy and data protection (96%), as well as protection against harassment, hate speech, and defamation on digital platforms (94%), should be protected by law. Likewise, 89% believe that the deletion of personal information available online and affordable internet access (81%) should also enjoy legal protection.
Other rights that, according to the majority opinion, should be legally recognized include freedom of expression on digital platforms (76%), the existence of non-discriminatory algorithms (73%), and the right to human review of automated decisions (72%).
Respondents primarily identify public administrations (45%) and technology companies (39%) as the entities responsible for guaranteeing digital rights.
Another key finding is the widespread concern about the protection of minors in the digital environment. A total of 95% believe that minors are little or not at all safe online, revealing a broad consensus on the need to implement protective measures. Parental controls are supported by 96% of respondents, the introduction of a minimum age for smartphone use by 91%, and the regulation of advertising aimed at minors by 96%.
Regarding preferred sources of information, social media is the first choice among people up to 29 years old (55%). As age increases, other media outlets gain greater importance in people’s preferences.
Regarding fake news, the majority identify social media platforms (88%) as the environments where misinformation spreads the most. In response to this scenario, 78% say they usually verify online content, either by consulting other sources within the internet itself (53%) or external sources (25%). Meanwhile, 18% admit that they do not check the accuracy of the information.
As for the spread of hate speech, social media platforms (86%) are once again perceived as the medium where these types of messages are most often or very often disseminated.
Risks and online participation
Regarding internet safety, 69% of people with compulsory education feel little or no security online, a figure that drops to 35% among those with higher education. Among the main risks associated with internet use are privacy and control over personal data (48%), scams and theft (48%), identity theft (30%), access to false information (25%), and harassment, bullying, and insults (19%). Additionally, 33% of people aged 18 to 29 say they have been victims of online harassment.
When asked about participation in the digital space, 71% support mandatory identification to participate in social media and online forums, compared to 24% who defend anonymous participation.
Perception of technology companies
Citizens believe that technology companies accumulate too much economic power (88%) and too much personal information (85%) through their activities. At the same time, 64% believe that these companies carry out beneficial activities.
Artificial Intelligence: limits and development
77% call for greater regulation of Artificial Intelligence, and 56% would prefer its development to slow down. Meanwhile, 49% believe that AI will have positive effects for people like them.
“Digital Rights” as a global concept
The report highlights the importance of education and digital literacy in increasing awareness of “digital rights” as an extension of people’s rights in the digital sphere, in a context where seven out of ten citizens have heard of the term “digital rights,” yet 28% would not know how to explain it.
Digital skills
Finally, nine out of ten citizens between the ages of 18 and 44 consider digital technology easy to use, a figure that drops to 46% among people over 60 years old, and to 44% among those with lower levels of education, especially for relatively complex tasks such as completing administrative procedures online.
Looking more closely at administrative procedures, between 70% and 80% of people aged 18 to 59 say that the digitalization of public administrations has made their lives easier, a figure that falls to 49% among those over 60. In this age group, 40% state that online procedures with public services make their lives more difficult.
The research combines a quantitative survey of 2,500 citizens with a qualitative study. Fieldwork was conducted between October 20 and December 9, 2025.
Survey assessment
The survey data were analyzed in a roundtable discussion in which participants were asked whether we are truly protected in the digital environment.
María González Veracruz, Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, stated that “this report, the result of the important work being carried out by the Digital Rights Observatory, confirms that the measures promoted by the Spanish Government to protect digital rights are responding to citizens’ concerns, especially regarding the development of an appropriate regulatory framework and the need to protect minors. We are not going to take a single step backwards: we have the same rights online as we do in the street.”
Luisa Alli, Managing Director of Fundación Hermes, said that “the data point to a very clear social mandate: more guarantees in the digital environment. This means better protection for minors, addressing disinformation, and ensuring that the use of data and technology is governed by understandable and enforceable rules.”
For Jesús Herrero, Director General of Red.es, the report “shows that the population is calling for the end of a lawless internet and for the creation of a digital environment in which rights are guaranteed at the same level as in the physical world, and which serves citizens.”
Meanwhile, David Casado, Head of the Foresight, Research and Evaluation Unit at the “la Caixa” Foundation Social Observatory, highlighted that “this study confirms that digital rights have moved from being an abstract debate to an everyday concern. Citizens are calling for digital transformation to take place with security, fairness, and trust, with special attention to the protection of children.”
According to Jordi Muñoz, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Barcelona, “the survey reveals a highly significant combination: high levels of concern and a clear demand for rules and protection mechanisms. Consensus around the protection of minors is almost universal, and the overall message is that citizens want digital rights to translate into concrete and measurable actions, and they expect both public authorities and technology companies to play a role in protecting them.”