A prominent Spanish women’s rights advocate, who has personally endured severe online harassment including AI-manipulated fake nude images, has voiced strong criticism of the government’s current social media regulation plans. She argues that the proposed measures fall short of what is truly needed to tackle the growing epidemic of digital violence. Central to her demands is the call for anonymous social media accounts to be linked to verifiable identities, aiming to end the widespread impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of online abuse.
Across Europe, efforts to rein in the influence of major U.S.-based technology companies are evolving beyond traditional fines and content removal requests. Spain is at the forefront of this shift, proposing more stringent rules such as banning access to social media platforms for users under the age of 16. Additionally, the government seeks to hold platform executives criminally responsible if they fail to promptly remove illegal or hateful content. Similar legislative discussions are underway in countries like France, Greece, and Poland, following Australia’s landmark decision last December to prohibit social media use by children under 16.
Carla Galeote, a 25-year-old lawyer and well-known feminist voice online, shared her perspective on the issue. She highlighted that governments have only recently begun to respond seriously because digital violence has escalated to an undeniable level, even though the problem existed long before the advent of AI technology. Galeote emphasized the relentless nature of online harassment, describing it as brutal, systematic, and constant. She recounted her own painful experience, noting that the most distressing aspect was not the AI-generated deepfake itself, but the dismissive response she received when reporting it to the police, who told her such acts were not considered crimes.
While Spain’s plan to restrict social media access for minors has sparked debate, Galeote criticized this approach as overly paternalistic. She insists that protection from digital abuse should extend to all users, regardless of their age. This stance challenges the notion that younger users are the only vulnerable group, pointing out that adults also face significant risks online. The proposed legislation has drawn sharp criticism from tech industry leaders, who accuse Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of threatening freedom of speech. However, Galeote firmly believes that safeguarding free expression and enforcing effective regulation are not mutually exclusive goals.
She illustrated the stark contrast between offline and online realities by stating it would be unthinkable for someone to openly threaten sexual violence in public without consequences, yet such behavior often goes unchecked on digital platforms. Instead of relying on fines that companies can easily absorb as a cost of doing business, Galeote advocates for more severe consequences, such as barring repeat offenders from operating within major markets like the European Union. This, she argues, would create a stronger deterrent against neglecting the removal of harmful content.
While supporting the use of pseudonyms online to protect user privacy, Galeote stressed the importance of having a traceable identity behind every account. She explained that users should be free to choose any screen name they like, but there must be a verified real person accountable for the content they post. This balance, she believes, is essential to curb the rampant abuse while preserving the benefits of anonymity in digital spaces.
