Fundación Solventia in cooperation with Diaz-Bastien & Truan Centre of Studies and Fundación ACS develops a research project to analize minor’s privacy in new technologies Aim and content of the research project Fundación Solventia, in cooperation with the Centre of Studies Díaz-Bastien &Truan and the Fundación ACS aims to promote an ambitious research project supervised by the Professor in Administrative Law and former Director of the Spanish Data Protection Agency, Luis Piñar Mañas.

This project is focused on the analysis of minor’s situation in data protection issues. Which includes existing regulations -in a national and international scale-, as well as precautionary and information measures that could be adopted in raising public awareness campaigns to improve minor’s rights. This project is of great importance and intends to become a reference in research and applied studies of a primary subject in the knowledge and information society. This initiative aims to respond to the challenge and proposal expressed by Data Protection European Authorities in the Report created by the so called Article 29 Group. This report raises the necessity for legislators, political leaders and educational organisations to take all necessary steps, in their respective activity areas, to deal with these issues.

There is no doubt that the unstoppable development of Information Technologies, especially of the Internet, has created a new generation of “connected children” who start to surf on the net from the early age of 8 years old, unaware of their identity exposure, of what can be made with it and all the consequences related to this use. Fundación Solventia considers that this initiative will contribute to elucidate minor’s legal situation in these cases of unprotected behaviours, ensuring -in this way- their rights and the responsible use of New Technologies. This project has a minimum duration of two years and its research results will be subject of publications.

Complementary raising awareness actions

Besides the research itself, a series of complementary activities will take place with the purpose of raising awareness in the academic, legal, associative and entrepreneurial sector -both public and private, national and international- regarding the unprotected situation of the minors at the hands of Internet and with the objective of promoting a responsible use of New Technologies.

Among the mentioned activities, it is planned to hold an annual seminar to discuss subjects related with the research project. The first edition of this seminar will be focused on social networks and will take place the 16th of June 2009 at the Madrid Bar Association.

Likewise, it is planned to hold an annual European Congress on Minor’s Privacy to promote the use of New Technologies as well as precautionary measures to guarantee a safer use of the Internet. This Congress intends to be an occasion to open a discussion among professionals of the forensic, academic and the international telecommunication industry world to find common solutions to this problem.

Among the activities scheduled in the programme, it is planned the creation of a web within Fundación Solventia’s website dedicated to Internet security, minor’s security and the realization of diffusion and educational activities focused on risks related to Web security. These activities are addressed to APAs (Parents Associations), schools and youth associations.

Conclusion

Fundación Solventia is persuaded that this Project will show important results and thanks to the contribution of Public and Private Institutions that may join in, Fundación Solventia will continue to develop its motto: contributing to build a better world for those who today are minors. Because tomorrow, these children will be our relay in the daily task of working towards a fairer society, equal in opportunities and supporter of the most fundamental rights of every human being, especially in privacy defence and personal data protection, both essential for us.

FUNDACIÓN SOLVENTIA

Fundación Solventia is a private non profit organization, established by Conrado Truan, also founding member of the law firm Díaz-Bastién & Truan. Our foundation is constituted with the main purpose of promoting welfare activities addressed to the education of children and youth, attending the necessities and the deficiencies of the educational sector, encouraging a better development of the society.

In order to carry out its mission, Fundación Solventia is interested in promoting specific programmes with the following purposes:

• To carry out programmes to promote access to education for those people with no means of support, awarding study and accommodation grants, providing with educational material or any other kind of assistance that may respond to our institutional aims.
• To promote training activities, especially those aiming vocational and occupational training.
• To promote job placement for people suffering from any kind of physic or psychic disability.
• To promote knowledge diffusion via seminars, conferences, forums. To encourage research and investigations that could be published.
• To promote training initiatives that may encourage the diffusion of arts, science and culture.

These objectives could be executed by Fundación Solventia itself or in cooperation with other entities, organizations, public or private institutions- of associative, foundational or entrepreneurial nature- as well as any individual who may feel identified with our institutional aims.