The motion seeks to regulate digital platforms and promote a transparent public alternative

Spain's Congress today endorsed the Esquerra parliamentary group's non-legislative motion urging the Government to establish a more democratic digital model, regulating large technological platforms and promoting a public alternative. Esquerra argues that platforms such as Meta, Alphabet, X and TikTok control public debate and manage the information we consume, which endangers democracy and privacy.

“Today, the most powerful power is digital power, and it sinks governments. And in this, four billionaires have convinced millions in a precarious condition that the fault for their situation is others in a still more precarious condition. We propose we compete, respond, not abandon. Being evil is all the rage, defending that the weak are to blame for their precarious condition. And shutting up in the face of this is, too. We submit that, at the very least, we build debate up in the EU on the creation of a digital social network, an alternative to the tyranny of these four billionaires who are hacking the brains of so many,” posited Esquerras spokesperson, Gabriel Rufián.

He also denounced the phenomenon of “techno-feudalism,” whereby users lose control over their data, and criticized the business of extracting and selling personal information. In addition, he also pointed out that the platforms promote disinformation and hate speech through algorithms that prioritize polarizing content.

The motion approved includes the creation of a European public social network, funded by the EU and managed under democratic guarantees, respecting data protection and with transparent algorithms. It also recommends stricter regulation of private platforms, applying the Digital Services Regulation (DSA) and limiting personalized advertising based on mass surveillance.

The Esquerra parliamentary group urges the European Commission to strengthen media literacy and independent journalism as fundamental pillars of democracy, and to adopt measures against online information manipulation.