Executive Branch Approves Regulation of Mica Ortega Law to Prevent and Raise Awareness on Grooming or Cyberbullying against Children and Adolescents

On July 14, 2022, the Federal Government issued Regulatory Decree 407/2022, approving the regulation of the Mica Ortega Law No. 27590.

This law creates the National Program for the Prevention and Awareness of Grooming or Cyberbullying against Children and Adolescents. Among others, the law aims to raise awareness on the responsible use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), to guarantee the protection of the rights of children and adolescents against grooming and cyberbullying, to train the public and private educational community on this problem, and to provide information on how to report this type of crimes before the judiciary system. Additionally, the Law requires devices with Internet access and digital platforms to incorporate messages with information on the responsible and safe use of ICTs.

In this context, the Decree approved the regulation and created the Program Observatory as the enforcement authority of the Mica Ortega Law. Some of the functions of the Observatory are to point out deviations in the compliance with the law, to prepare annual reports on the implementation of the Program, and to promote training on the responsible use of ICTs.

Further, an Administrative Coordination Unit was created within the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents, and Family to comprehensively address the necessary actions for implementing the law. A Committee on the Safe and Responsible Use of ICTs was also created, to prepare recommendations and collaborative actions between state and non-state entities.