Argentina advances new digital safety and missing persons legislation

Legislative bodies in Argentina are advancing new measures to address digital safety and missing persons. In Neuquén, the Legislature is reviewing a proposal to modernize the ‘Alerta Nati’ system. Created in 2010, the provincial system for locating missing minors lacks recent technological updates. The reform aims to integrate social media and mobile applications to ensure information reaches a wider audience within minutes of a disappearance.

In Buenos Aires, the lower house approved the ‘Ley Ema’ to combat digital violence in schools. The initiative, prompted by the 2024 death of teenager Ema Bondaruk following the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, establishes a provincial program to prevent and address cyberbullying, grooming, and sextortion. The law focuses on creating prevention tools for educators and students, promoting digital rights, privacy, and responsible technology use. The bill has now moved to the provincial Senate for further processing.