Atresmedia’s Code of Conduct sets out the Group’s commitment to comply with current legislation on the hiring of minors and explicitly rejects child labour. The Group also insists that its suppliers provide a compliance statement, undertaking to respect the provisions of the Code of Conduct and the Group’s Regulatory Compliance Model.

Moreover, and as detailed later in this report (see section 8.2.4. Respect for human rights), Atresmedia conducted a human rights due diligence process in 2023. While the protection of children was not found to be a material topic for the Group, it was included as a right to which special attention should be paid in its Due Diligence Handbook, which sets out the mechanisms established by the Group for the protection of children.

[[DEST:Atresmedia’s human rights due diligence handbook was drawn up in 2023 and includes, among other matters, the child protection mechanisms in place at the Grou]]p

When it comes to commercial communications, Atresmedia Publicidad applies the codes of ethics to which it adheres —discussed further in due course— and complies with the General Law on Audiovisual Communication in relation to the placement of commercial communications, which must not be placed next to children’s programming. To uphold responsible behaviour, Atresmedia runs internal controls to ensure legal and ethical correctness, as well as external controls, through the copy advice service.

As mentioned earlier, there have been various regulatory changes in recent years in the realm of audiovisual communication relating to the protection of minors, and it goes without saying that the Group has been paying close attention. With regard to the new model of a co-regulation agreement for the rating of audiovisual programmes provided for in Article 98(2) and Transitional Provision Two of the General Law on Audiovisual Communication, Atresmedia and a significant proportion of the providers of television audiovisual communication services —free-to-air and conditional access, linear and on-demand— saw fit to sign a document to further complement the transitional legal regime. This document essentially functions as a support mechanism until such time as the definitive co-regulation agreement is signed. The aim is to establish a transitional and complementary age-based rating system for audiovisual programmes which includes guidance for each rating.

The signatories concluded that the best approach was to continue to apply the age-based rating system provided for in the Self-Regulatory Code on Television Content and Children, which was subsequently ratified by the Spanish CNMV. It was further agreed by the Committee that these guiding criteria for the rating of audiovisual content should be applied by all providers of state television audiovisual media services.

Notably, no claims were made under the new co-regulation model in 2023, as it is remains under development and is not yet operational, as mentioned earlier.

Meanwhile, the Royal Decree setting out the requirements to be met to qualify as an influencer for the purposes of the LGCA will, following its approval, make it possible to insist, for the first time, that influencers comply with obligations aimed at protecting minors and the general public from certain harmful commercial content and communications.

To further protect minors from the content it broadcasts, Atresmedia worked hard in 2023 to improve the parental control of its atresplayer platform. Along these lines, a special subscription option for household users was launched, enabling families to create different profiles for each member, each with different restrictions on the content that can be viewed.

In relation to commercial communications, Atresmedia voluntarily complies with the principles enshrined in the Content and Children’s Self-Regulation Code, thus ensuring the protection of the most vulnerable audiences. All the mechanisms that Atresmedia puts in place to protect minors in the field of advertising are set out in the following section.

Further highlights in the period included the ongoing work of Fundación Atresmedia, which helps to protect the rights of children and young people in the audiovisual environment and on social media through its various projects on media and information literacy and safe and responsible access to information.