Since its creation, Maldita.es has developed an ecosystem of tools and methodologies that combine technological innovation and citizen participation to protect the public from misinformation.
The jury, made up of Laura Cuesta Cano, an expert on adolescents’ use of technology; Eleonora Viezzer, plasma physicist and renowned researcher; and Nieves Ábalos, a reference in conversational AI; Ofelia Tejerina, president of the Internet Users Association; Teresa Rodríguez de las Heras, a UN expert in e-commerce; and Susana Solís, a key MEP in the drafting of the Artificial Intelligence Act, recognised “its work in the fight against misinformation, which is essential for the development of a better informed and more critical citizenry and society”.
Among the initiatives highlighted by the jury, Maldita.es’ work in media literacy and projects that actively involve society stand out. This includes its WhatsApp chatbot, a communication channel with the public through a tool that allows anyone to send suspicious content so that Maldita.es’ team of experts can verify it and resolve their queries. In addition, the Superpoderes programme, which brings together more than 3,000 experts from different disciplines who collaborate in the creation of verified and reliable content, promotes collective knowledge.
During the award ceremony, held on 26 June in Madrid, David Fernández, Chief Technology Officer of Fundación Maldita.es, stressed that “this award also belongs to our entire community, to those who send us their questions every day, share knowledge and collaborate in the fight against misinformation”. He added that “being here as award winners thanks to an institution that represents part of the country’s digital industry is living proof that we can collaborate, that we can understand each other and work towards shared aspirations that benefit everyone, and the country as a whole”.
In addition to the award in the Citizenship category given to Fundación Maldita.es, the event also recognised the Basque scale-up Multiverse Computing in the Scalability category for its CompactifAI project. In the Responsible Technologies category, the award went to Orientatech, an initiative by Fundación Tecsos promoted by Cruz Roja Española and Fundación Vodafone España. Finally, the Innovation award was given to Ocean Ecostructures for its Life Boosting Units (LBUs), biomimetic micro-reefs that transform marine infrastructures into “blue oases”.
Adigital, the Spanish Association of the Digital Economy, is an organisation made up of more than 550 companies from key sectors of the digital economy, united by the goal of creating an optimal environment in Spain and Europe for the development and growth of the digital economy. Its work seeks to contribute to a more open, competitive and sustainable society, with special attention to digital ethics.