Proteção dos menores no contexto digital europeu: um diálogo necessário entre pais, academia, reguladores e indústria

Protection of minors in the European digital audiovisual context: a necessary dialogue between parents, academy, regulators and industry Aurora Labio-Bernal Faculty of Communication, University of Seville, Spain Lorena R. Romero-Domínguez Faculty of Communication, University of Seville, Spain María José García-Orta Faculty of Communication, University of Seville, Spain Abstract This paper represents the initial phase of a larger project being developed by the “Media, communication policy and democracy in the European Union” research group, which is currently working on the study “Communication policies, SVOD platforms and values education for minors in the single digital market (2020-2022)”. We wish to pursue in this study that, beyond technological considerations, it is necessary to expand the scope of child protection by establishing mutual collaboration between regulators, distributors and video on demand services, as well as consumers and parents’ organisations, in an effort to further enhance cooperation and mutual understanding (European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services, 2017b, p. 75). It is for this reason that we believe that the academic sphere can also be invited into this wide-ranging discussion on child protection to contribute reflections on a key aspect: audiovisual and media education, an essential pillar of protection in addition to filters, external limits, and electronic labelling. We thus uphold a vision that not only considers the “digital stuff” but also highlights the need for “ethos stuff” (Goggin, 2008, p.89). In this respect, we have considered it essential a literature review on the concept of media literacy. Secondly, our qualitative methodology involves an analysis of the instructions issued by the European Union and their implementation in Spain. In this stage, we have conducted desk research based on a narrative analysis of the documents and programs of different institutions in order to chart the evolution of the question in recent years, at a time when the digital environment has changed more quickly than ever before. This same type of analysis is also conducted on the initiatives of European and Spanish companies to determine whether they are implementing child protection strategies. Keywords digital literacy; minors; protection; Europe; regulators Comunicação e Sociedade, vol. 37, 2020, pp. 127-146 https://doi.org/10.17231/comsoc.37(2020).2162 Comunicação e Sociedade, vol. 37, 2020 128 Protection of minors in the European digital audiovisual context . Aurora Labio-Bernal, Lorena R. Romero-Domínguez & María José García-Orta Proteção dos menores no contexto digital europeu: um diálogo necessário entre pais, academia, reguladores e indústria Resumo Este artigo representa a fase inicial de um projeto mais vasto conduzido pelo grupo de investigação “Media, política de comunicação e democracia na União Europeia” que está atualmente a desenvolver o estudo “Políticas de comunicação, plataformas SVOD e educação de valores para menores no mercado único digital (2020-2022)”. Neste estudo, pretendemos explorar a ideia de que, além das considerações tecnológicas, é necessário alargar o âmbito da proteção infantil, estabelecendo colaboração mútua entre entidades reguladoras, distribuidores e serviços de vídeo on demand, bem como organizações de consumidores e de pais, num esforço para melhorar ainda mais a cooperação e o entendimento mútuo (Grupo Europeu de Reguladores dos Serviços de Comunicação Audiovisuais, 2017b, p. 75). Tendo por base este objetivo, consideramos que a esfera académica também pode ser convidada para este abrangente debate sobre proteção infantil, a fim de contribuir para um aspeto fundamental: a educação audiovisual e mediática como um pilar essencial de proteção, além de filtros, limites externos e rotulagem eletrónica. Assim, defendemos uma visão que considera não apenas os aspetos digitais (digital stuff), mas também destaca a necessidade de aspetos éticos (ethos stuff) (Goggin, 2008, p.89). A esse respeito, é essencial uma revisão da literatura sobre o conceito de literacia mediática. A metodologia qualitativa envolve uma análise das indicações da União Europeia e a sua implementação em Espanha. Nesta fase, realizámos pesquisas de dados secundários com base numa análise narrativa dos documentos e programas de diferentes instituições, a fim de mapear a evolução da questão nos últimos anos, num momento em que o ambiente digital mudou muito rapidamente. Este tipo de análise também é conduzido nas iniciativas de empresas europeias e espanholas, no sentido de determinar se estão a implementar estratégias de proteção à criança. Palavras-chave literacia digital; menores; proteção; Europa; reguladores Introduction In the introduction to its report Protection of minors in the audiovisual media services: trends & practices, the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA, 2017b) makes special reference to the need for collaboration between media companies and regulators to provide tools and mechanisms that will enable parents to protect their children in the digital era in accordance with their preferences (p. 4). Moreover, a few months ago, at the “Provuldig Conference”, we presented references to how, in the academic sphere, research by Lievens, Livingstone, McLaughlin, O’Neill and Verdoodt (2018), Potter and Steemers (2017), and others, provided evidence of the need to regulate the current audiovisual environment in order to protect children. Although these studies once again demonstrated the complexity of the issue in a globalised world, there seems to be a consensus among academics on basic common issues to ensure the protection of minors. We even drew some interesting conclusions in our study on the proposal put forward by Livingstone and Third (2017) in relation to Comunicação e Sociedade, vol. 37, 2020 129 Protection of minors in the European digital audiovisual context . Aurora Labio-Bernal, Lorena R. Romero-Domínguez & María José García-Orta using the technological debate to demand dignity and protection for children in contexts of disadvantage. In this way, we also tied in with the debate between digital competence and informational digital competence, a debate that inevitably leads us to media literacy (Area & Guarro, 2012; Valverde, de Pro-Bueno & González, 2018). A notable feature of the report produced by ERGA (2017a, p. 68) is the proposal of a technical experience and pilot project called “Miracle”, aimed at developing a standardised electronic model for age-based classification in the audiovisual context that would be applicable across borders and to different digital devices. It is important to bear in mind that a few years ago the consumption of audiovisual content by minors could be controlled by means of age-based classification and labelling on different products consumed outside the electronic context. However, the new routes of online access to audiovisual content require a new way of thinking about the information that such classifications provide. With this in mind, the “Miracle” project was launched to provide a unique age-based classification and labelling system based on existing models. In this way, the experience highlighted how cross-referencing the data on these classifications could be useful to the industry, educational institutions, and users. The participating consortia were the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), the Netherlands Institute for Classification of Audiovisual Media (NICAM), the authority that manages the PanEuropean video game self-regulation system (PEGI), the German Association for Voluntary Self-Regulation of Digital Media Service Providers (FSM), and the National Safer Internet Centre in the Czech Republic. All these organisations participated in “Miracle” in an effort to develop an ecosystem of age-based electronic and online labelling (infrastructures, services, and apps) that could be applied to the same content, regardless of the jurisdiction, and to the different EU members, even when they have different legislation related to child protection. Another aspect that we believe is of relevance to our study is the recognition of the indiscriminate use of different devices by children to consume content, as shown in the following figure. Figure 1: Interoperability (project “Miracle”) Source: ERGA, 2017a, p. 7 Comunicação e Sociedade, vol. 37, 2020 130 Protection of minors in the European digital audiovisual context . Aurora Labio-Bernal, Lorena R. Romero-Domínguez & María José García-Orta In Spain, for example, the devices that minors use most to access the internet are mobile phones (76%), followed by smart TVs (72%), video consoles (29%), computers (28%), and tablets (26%), according to the report Actividades, mediación, oportunidades y riesgos online de los menores en la era de la convergencia mediática (Garmendia et al., 2019, p. 17). According to the figure shown above, the single classification system proposed by “Miracle” is also intended to be operable for all devices and to coexist with other filters like parental control, while also potentially serving content providers and being applied to new data services. However, despite the interesting contributions offered by “Miracle”, we have to point out that, like other EU initiatives, it is not a mandatory project and therefore it is up to the member countries to voluntarily choose whether to adopt it. But beyond this technological consideration, the ERGA (2017b, p. 75) report concludes that it is necessary to expand the scope of child protection by establishing mutual collaboration between regulators, distributors and video on demand (VOD) services, as well as consumers and parents’ organisations, in an effort to further enhance cooperation and mutual understanding. It even points to the possibility of establishing a document for a broader public in the form of a best practices guide. Hypothesis and objectives This is precisely the line of research we wish to pursue in this study, moving beyond a merely technological model. It is for this reason that we believe that the academic sphere can also be invited into this wide-ranging discussion on child protection to contribute reflections on a key aspect: audiovisual and media education, an essential pillar of protection in addition to filters, external limits, and electronic labelling. We thus uphold a vision that not only considers the “digital stuff” but also highlights the need for “ethos stuff” (Goggin, 2008, p. 89). Based on these considerations, for this research we posited the following hypotheses: 1. technological tools (parental control, age labelling, and filtering systems) are not enough to protect minors in the digital environment; 2. the mechanisms to prevent harm and risks to minors need to be based on a new way of viewing media literacy as a task shared between regulators, parents, educators, and content producers. To test these hypotheses, we proposed a series of objectives. The first of these involves a review of the definition of media literacy in an effort to understand how new ways of consuming require us to reassess what media literacy is and who is responsible for teaching it. It is also essential to examine the orders and instructions issued by the European Union over the years in order to analyse the evolution of the discourse, from the first approaches based on the use of technological tools to the latest programs promoting the creation of quality content and the active role of minors in the development of the kind of critical awareness they need to make safe use of online spaces as creators and consumers. Comunicação e Sociedade, vol. 37, 2020 131 Protection of minors in the European digital audiovisual context . Aurora Labio-Bernal, Lorena R. Romero-Domínguez & María José García-Orta Finally, we are interested in determining how these programs have been implemented in Spain and also in studying the role of the industry in this country in promoting initiatives that recognise the sector’s responsibility for the protection of children and youth. Methodology For this research, we have adopted a qualitative methodology with a critical dimension. In this respect, we have considered it essential in our research to adopt a methodology that includes, first of all, a literature review on the concept of media literacy. We believe that any analysis of the protection of minors in the digital environment must begin with a theoretical framework that can help identify the different approaches to and perspectives on media education. This will then make it possible to determine the issues posed by the different approaches and also to confirm the intellectual stance on which to base the study. The justification for this heuristic phase of our methodology lies in the fact that it involves characterising the problem as an academic discussion and identifying theories that can serve to describe it and contribute to a redefinition of media literacy. Secondly, our qualitative methodology involves an analysis of the instructions issued by the European Union and their implementation in Spain. In this stage, we have conducted desk research based on a review of different types of documents (reports, directives, strategy documents, summaries, commercial agrees between mobile operators, code of conduct and ethic of telecommunications companies, work papers, etc.) of European institutions and industry organisations (Council of Europe, European Parliament, European Commission, European Audiovisual Observatory, European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services, GSMA, ICT Coalition), in order to chart the evolution of the question from 1996 to the present, when the digital environment has changed more quickly than ever before. This same type of analysis is also conducted on the initiatives of Spanish companies (National Commission on Markets and Competition [CNMC], Mediaset, Telefónica, Vodafone, Filmin) to determine whether they are implementing child protection strategies. The review, in both levels, have involved next steps: identification of the topic of research (minors, online, protection), identification of document sources (official/nonofficial; government/non-government; public/private or commercial); comparation between institutional recommendations and practical applications by industry organisations and final conclusions. Towards a new kind of media literacy It is clearly a demonstrable fact that new technologies, the use of mobile devices, and the possibilities of the internet have changed not only the way we produce and consume content, but even the way we participate in cultural activities and relate to one another. It was some years ago that the European Union began taking special note of the risks, but also the opportunities, that the internet offers minors. A key point revolves around knowing what tools can be used to offer media education to children so that they Comunicação e Sociedade, vol. 37, 2020 132 Protection of minors in the European digital audiovisual context . Aurora Labio-Bernal, Lorena R. Romero-Domínguez & María José García-Orta can feel protected in the digital environment. One major issue that may emerge relates to skills development, as there appears to be an assumption that the more children know about digital, structural (use) and strategic (applicable) competencies, the less vulnerable they will be to the risks of online interaction, such as cyberbullying, grooming (sexual harassment) or invasion of privacy. However, authors like Sonck and de Haan (2014) have found that the acquisition of such skills does not always guarantee protection from risks. In fact, the studies conducted on this question (Livingstone & Helsper, 2010; Sonck, Kuiper & de Haan, 2012) have produced “inconclusive results with regard to the effectiveness of digital skills in keeping young people safe on the internet. It has been found that more skills coincide with more risks and have no significant effect in preventing unwanted experiences” (Sonck & de Haan, 2014, p. 97). These researchers also point to an interesting consideration for our paper when they propose a more indepth exploration of these digital skills, connecting them with media literacy (Sonck & de Haan, 2014, p. 90). Over the years, the view of media literacy has taken an individualised ethical position in relation to the consumption and selection of audiovisual content (O’Neill, 2010, p. 323). However, in a context of increasing possibilities for choosing content on multiple devices in real time and on demand, the question of media education becomes a complex matter for several reasons. The first of these is the need to clarify what we mean by media literacy, as falling under this term are other concepts like informational, audiovisual and digital literacy. This is why Koltay (2011, p. 212) defines media education as “an umbrella concept” that can be tackled from different perspectives. At the same time, Cordes (2009, p. 3) puts forward the view of a multimodal form of literacy as “the synthesis of multiple modes of communication (…) The multimodal object can require a range of tools, skills, and sensibilities and often reflects collaborative as well as individual effort”. Along the same lines, Tyner (2003, p. 373) speaks of different forms of multiliteracy as a way of addressing the needs of media, digital, visual, or computer literacy. In our study, we want to stress that we will be using the term media literacy with a definition that extends to the audiovisual and digital contexts. According to the researchers Thoman and Jolls (2004, pp. 23-24), the characteristics of this kind of media education are as follows: 1. media literacy is focused on process more than content. In this sense, what matters is not so much the technological aspect as the capacity to identify problems, learn concepts, and generate connections and ideas based on a media message (whether in print or electronic); 2. media literacy broadens the concept of text, as texts are not only written but also verbal or audiovisual, multimedia and digital; 3. media literacy is characterised by the principle of questioning and criticism of the important aspects emerging from the media ecosystem. Media literacy therefore has the objective of promoting a critical perspective and expanding the intellectual capacities to create citizens rather than mere consumers, capable of exercising their civic responsibility in democratic societies. Comunicação e Sociedade, vol. 37, 2020 133 Protection of minors in the European digital audiovisual context . Aurora Labio-Bernal, Lorena R. Romero-Domínguez & María José García-Orta The second reason for the complexity of media literacy lies in the question of who should be responsible for teaching it. In this respect, we again agree with Sonck and de Haan (2014) when they speak of an educational process shared by the family, school, government, and industry. They also speak of mutual collaboration among minors themselves in the development of their responsible use of the internet. We would thus argue that media literacy needs to be taken on as a task shared by parents, educational institutions, regulatory bodies and content providers. It is a task aimed at developing a critical attitude in children so that they are able to discern which content may be harmful. This integrative view of media literacy was also put forward recently in the report titled Looking forward: technological and social change in the lives of European children and young people (Blum-Ross et al., 2018). This report took the innovative approach of gathering opinions through interviews conducted with the industry and through focus groups that included parents, young people, and educators from five EU member states: Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Ireland and Italy. Industry representatives included Altice Portugal, Facebook, Google, Telia, Vodafone, and Orange. One of the most interesting considerations of this report, for example, is the idea that parents can act as “media mentors”, “not only helping children find resources but also modelling good behaviours themselves” (Blum-Ross et al., 2018, p. 19). We agree that the task of parents should be not only to set guidelines but also to encourage their children’s empowerment through an education in values, which should be understood as another aspect of parental care. Sonck and de Haan (2014, p. 98), for example, describe different strategies like active mediation, the application of technical restrictions, the establishment of standards for restrictions and monitoring of internet use. One point that we believe is important in this respect is related to the need to raise awareness among parents about the introduction of online consumption as a reality in the education of their children. Obviously, this parental work extends to the school. In the aforementioned report, for example, the researchers argue that all stakeholders in education need to work together, from parents to teachers and school authorities. The researchers are thus clearly aware that “child protection” is a “huge issue which can only be tackled when responsibility is shared and when the whole school community is actively involved” (Blum-Ross et al., 2018, p. 25). Europe’s role The European Union has also responded actively to the need to protect minors, especially in the new digital environment. As early as 1996, the European Commission published the Green paper: protection of minors and human dignity in audiovisual and information services (European Commission, 1996a), which recognised the importance of this issue, above all because the new media platforms could contribute more visibly and relatively quickly than traditional media to make this type of content more accessible to Comunicação e Sociedade, vol. 37, 2020 134 Protection of minors in the European digital audiovisual context . Aurora Labio-Bernal, Lorena R. Romero-Domínguez & María José García-Orta minors. While the Green paper was a starting point, it would be the Communication on illegal and harmful content on the internet (European Commission, 1996b) that would propose the first specific control measures for the protection of minors, not through an awareness of censorship but through the creation of a critical approach to the use of online content. To do this, the Commission adopted a rather naive starting point focused only on technological standards, covering parental control software, content filtering systems and an age-based labelling system. Although it was not a monolithic proposal, and deferred in all cases to the principle of subsidiarity, the Commission laid the foundations for a range of programs for the protection of children in the digital environment, with an awareness, as the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO, 2012) states in its reports Protection of minors and audiovisual content on-demand (2012-6), of the need to evaluate and rethink the regulatory and legal framework protecting minors in the audiovisual environment in keeping with the dynamism and changing nature of the media landscape: a landscape for which the model defined in the EU Audiovisual Directive (Directive [EU] 2018/1808) was no longer relevant. Acknowledging that the model for the protection of minors in the audiovisual environment was transitioning to the online world, the new circumstances brought about by the internet have made it impossible to apply the traditional protection standards. Figure 2: Comparative audiovisual chain in traditional and online ecosystem Source: ERGA, 2015, p.47 These parameters have been applied to the development of the different stages of the “Action plan for a safer internet”, created in 1999 to promote an environment favourable to the development of the internet-related industry, by encouraging safe use of the web and combating illegal and harmful content. The basic pillars of action (safety through a European network of hotlines for reporting illegal content, the development of content classification and filtering systems, initiatives to raise awareness and educate through media literacy programs, and the development of self-regulation initiatives) have been maintained in the successive stages of the plan’s implementation, although in all of these areas there has been an increased awareness of the importance of issues related to the protection of minors, their dignity and their privacy with the increasing role Comunicação e Sociedade, vol. 37, 2020 135 Protection of minors in the European digital audiovisual context . Aurora Labio-Bernal, Lorena R. Romero-Domínguez & María José García-Orta played by technology in their everyday lives (according to Commission data, one out of every three internet users in the EU is a child1). Thus, the second stage of the program (“Safer internet plus”, 2005-2008) highlighted the need to expand the strategies for action in view of the changes taking place in the world of communications. In 2009, the third stage was launched, in the context of a consolidated online environment used more and more actively by children even though they are also especially vulnerable. The intense activity of European institutions in this area since the implementation of the first project (EAO, 2015) has resulted in a range of initiatives: the “dotSAFE” program; the “Safer internet forum” (since 2004) with representatives from the industry, legal authorities, legislative institutions and civil organisations (parent-teacher associations, consumer groups, child protection groups, etc.); Insafe and INHOPE (global network of hotlines for reporting illegal content online and with a commitment to eliminating online child sexual abuse); “EU kids online” (mapping experiences of children online to assess risks and safety on websites); “Mediappro” (media literacy project); the creation of the “SIP-Bench” program (parental control strategies); the celebration of Safer Internet Day; the creation of the “Internet governance forum”; the establishment of points of contact where children can get answers to their questions about how to navigate the internet safely and to combat cyberbullying and online sexual abuse thanks to the work of Safer Internet Centres (SICs); the Poscon (Positive Online Content and Services for Children in Europe) Network; European NGO Alliance for Child Safety Online; Net Children Go Mobile; SPIRTO (Self-Produced Images Risk Taking Online), etc. The final stage began in 2014 and is still under way today, focusing on four main areas of action: 1. encourage the production of creative and educational online content for children and promote positive online experiences for small children; 2. increase awareness and empowerment, including teaching digital literacy and online safety at all schools in the EU; 3. create a safe environment for children through age-appropriate privacy configurations, wider use of parental controls, and age-based and content-based classification; 4. combat online child sexual abuse material and sexual exploitation of children. The starting point for this stage was the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children, published by the European Commission (2012), which examines the biggest challenges for the online sector in matters of child protection. It was completed with the release of the Council conclusions on the European strategy for a better internet for children (Council of the European Union, 2012), which introduced a new line of action dedicated to the promotion of quality content for minors, designed to complete the lines of action of the first three stages. 1 Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/content/creating-better-internet-kids-0 Comunicação e Sociedade, vol. 37, 2020 142 Protection of minors in the European digital audiovisual context . Aurora Labio-Bernal, Lorena R. Romero-Domínguez & María José García-Orta other hand, regulators need to establish limits that do not constitute a substitute for parental control or an excessive burden on content providers. Moreover, parents also need to take responsibility for the type of content their children consume, taking into account the discriminatory capacities of minors. And on this question, the academic research conducted should include studies of media literacy, given that protecting children also involves educating them in media consumption. As we have just suggested, this is no easy task, as we are dealing with a problem that requires dialogue between educators, regulatory bodies, content providers, and parents. In this sense, we believe both the regulation of the sector and media literacy to be important, as both are identified as necessary for the protection of minors in the digital context. Furthermore, although it is beyond the scope of this paper, we also want to highlight the role of children themselves in the acquisition of skills that will enable them to create content as part of their audiovisual education in the digital environment, as an important subject for future research. Finally, we offer a series of conclusions that confirm our initial hypotheses and point to possibilities for future research: 1. parents play an essential role in the protection of minors in the digital environment, but this role cannot be limited to technological controls. The family needs to understand that values education is a necessary part of parental care and of media literacy; 2. the task of education in media literacy needs to be shared by parents and educational institutions, but also by European regulatory bodies and content providers. It is not the exclusive responsibility of schools, but an obligation to be assumed by society as a whole; 3. the ultimate objective of this mutual collaboration between the industry, regulators, parents, and educators is to help children to develop skills and competencies that will enable them to think critically and to create quality content as part of their digital education. In this study we were interested in conducting a theoretical debate and analysis of research and experiments carried out by academics, regulators and companies as part of the current European circumstances. Therefore, we did not consider it necessary to mention the conclusions reached by the Forum Group as their research was based on a local case. For this reason, in the next phase of our research we propose to include these conclusions as part of a more regional analysis that extends the study to the active role of minors themselves in the digital environment. 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La competencia informacional-digital en la enseñanza y aprendizaje de las ciencias en la educación secundaria obligatoria actual: una revisión teórica. Revista Eureka sobre Enseñanza y Divulgación de las Ciencias, 15(2), 2105-1-2105-15. https://doi.org/10.25267/ Rev_Eureka_ensen_divulg_cienc.2018.v15.i2.2105 Vodafone. (2018). Informe integrado Vodafone España (2017-18). Madrid: Vodafone. Biographical notes Aurora Labio-Bernal is Ternured Journalism Lecturer at the University of Seville. PhD and Bachelors Degree in Journalism, she is director of the research group “Media, Communication Policies and Democracy in the European Union” (DEMOC-MEDIA). Her research activity has focused on Political Economy of Communication and Information Structure. She has been a visiting lecturer at the University of Westminster (London) and at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (2010), she has also published the book Communication, journalism and information control. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5195-0012 Email: [email protected] Address: School of Communication, Journalism II Section, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Americo Vespucio s/n Cartuja Scientific and Technological Park, 41092 – Sevilla, Spain Lorena R. Romero-Domínguez is Ternured Journalism Lecturer at the University of Seville. PhD and Bachelors Degree in Journalism, she is a member of the research group “Media, Communication Policies, and Democracy in the European Union” (DEMOCMEDIA). Specializing in the media situation in Germany, she has collaborated with the Austrian Academy of Science in the book Medienstrukturen und Medienperformanz. She has collaborated as a teacher and researcher at the following universities: Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Konstanz Universität, Cardiff University, Johannes-Gutenberg Mainz Universität and Ostfalia Universität. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6942-0183 Email: [email protected] Address: School of Communication, Journalism II Section, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Americo Vespucio s/n Cartuja Scientific and Technological Park, 41092 – Sevilla, Spain María José García-Orta. Bachelors Degree and PhD in Journalism from the University of Sevilla. She is an associate lecturer in the Faculty of Communication at the University of Sevilla and a lecturer in the Masters Degree Programme in Institutional Communication and Politics. In addition, she is a member of the research group “Media, Communication Policies, and Democracy in the European Union”. Her scientific activity has been developed both in the field of advertising as well as in other fields of knowledge, highlighted by electoral political communication, structure of information, Comunicação e Sociedade, vol. 37, 2020 146 Protection of minors in the European digital audiovisual context . Aurora Labio-Bernal, Lorena R. Romero-Domínguez & María José García-Orta the audiovisual industry, and new information technologies, with special attention given to social networks. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3284-2005 Email: [email protected] Address: School of Communication, Journalism II Section, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Americo Vespucio s/n Cartuja Scientific and Technological Park, 41092 – Sevilla, Spain * Submitted: 04/11/2019 * Accepted: 21/04/2020