Santa Fe, Salta Advance Digital Law Push

Santa Fe passed the Ema Law and became the first Argentine province with a legal framework specifically aimed at fighting digital violence in schools. At the same time, Salta opened a bill on digital gambling, and a national initiative on artificial intelligence is moving forward. In Mendoza, the debate over the Cybersecurity Law remains open, alongside an alternative proposal on cybercrime.

What did Santa Fe approve with the Ema Law?

Santa Fe gave final approval to the law and created the Provincial System for the Prevention and Comprehensive Response to Digital Violence in Educational Settings, promoted by provincial lawmaker Celia Arena. The measure is designed to prevent and address harassment and other forms of digital abuse in schools, including the spread of intimate content and cyberbullying.

The provincial legislature passed the law, which had also been introduced at the national level and in Buenos Aires province, where it still has not received a committee opinion in the lower house. With this approval, Santa Fe became the first jurisdiction in the country with a specific rule for this kind of violence in schools, while the similar bills at the national and Buenos Aires levels remain in committee.

Ecos365, in a report on its implementation, described the Ema Law as a tool for responding to cases of digital violence inside the education system, with a design focused on school-level use.

What does Salta's bill on digital gambling propose?

In Salta, file No. 90-34.492/2026 was introduced under the title of a bill for the prevention, comprehensive response, protection, and technical and health assistance against gambling addiction. It also includes digital gambling addiction, cyber betting, and compulsive use of gambling and interactive platforms by minors and young people up to age 21.

The bill, which has not yet been approved, also allows courts to request the blocking of domains and IP addresses across the province for unauthorized or offending sites or apps tied to gambling and digital interactive platforms. It also proposes coordination among health, education, and justice agencies for implementation.

What does the national artificial intelligence initiative seek to change?

At the national level, a group of lawmakers introduced a bill to amend the Civil and Commercial Code, the Criminal Code, and Law 26.485 in order to add specific references to the use of artificial intelligence when that technology is used to commit crimes or violate rights protected by Argentine law. The bill was formally submitted to the Chamber of Deputies and sent to the General Legislation and Criminal Legislation committees.

The proposal was introduced by lawmaker Pamela Verasay and other legislators, but it does not create a comprehensive AI law or set obligations for developers or providers. Its focus is on defining and increasing penalties for crimes committed using AI, such as scams involving cloned voices, forged documents, or fake identities.

How is the cybersecurity law debate going in Mendoza?

In Mendoza, the debate over the Cybersecurity Law remains marked by criticism from specialists and institutional actors. They support the need for a law, but question the lack of clarity in the text, the closed nature of the executive branch's proposal, and the limited room to discuss core issues in the legislature.

According to the reporting, minister Mercedes Rus appears as the main political backer of the official initiative. At the same time, the Kirchnerist bloc introduced an alternative bill against cybercrime, focused on personal data protection, backed by senator Félix González and lawmakers Lidia Quintana and Lucas Ilardo.