The National Digital Strategy (NDS), launched by the Ministry of Youth and Modernization, was in public consultation until December 5, 2024. This document is part of the Digital Decade until 2030 program promoted by the European Union (EU). With the implementation of the NDE, the government wants Portugal to assert itself as one of the European leaders in the field of the ongoing digital transformation, which encompasses all areas of our life in society, within the framework of the fourth industrial revolution, an expression coined by Klaus Schwab (Founder and President of the World Economic Forum, In “The Fourth Industrial Revolution”, published in 2016. Published in Portugal by Levoir in 2018: “The Fourth Industrial Revolution”), which began in the transition to the 21st century.

In summary, the National Digital Strategy proposal, dated November 14, 2024, submitted for public consultation, lists the following points:

• Vision: focuses on a “more competitive, innovative, sustainable and resilient economy”
• Guiding principles underpinned by “seven fundamental principles”: (i) trust and transparency; (ii) Inclusion and Equality; (iii) Sustainability; (iv) safety and security; (v) Ethics; (vi) Efficiency; (vii) Collaboration “between public administration, companies, associations, academia and civil society.”
• It also sets out the goals, initiatives and actions to be developed
• It is aligned with the EU’s Digital Decade program;

With People being the first of the strategic objectives, the NDE aims to achieve this by 2030:

(i) providing society with digital skills that facilitate citizen participation, with an emphasis on digital literacy; active gender equality; security; civic participation and digital inclusion;

(ii) digital education and retraining, with a focus on advanced digital skills, especially security;

(iii) To train, retain and attract specialists, thereby achieving the recognition of Portugal as a center of excellence by creating a “culture of innovation”.

With regard to ethics in point 5 of the guiding principles, the NDE proposes: “Develop, adopt and use technology ethically, protecting fundamental rights.” The implementation, targets, initiatives and action plans set out in this document omit any other reference to digital ethics. Only in objective 7 (on page 56), under the strategic objectives for the State, is it mentioned: “Ensure the digitalization of public services and their efficient, integrated and people-centered delivery.” It seems to us that the urgency of the Human in the Loop (HITL), in other words, not doing without the Human in these areas. Being transversal to all dimensions of digital, it is not only exclusive to the Public Administration. Private initiative should also guide its actions in these areas by respecting this principle, which has been identified and recognized in academia and embraced in public policies, particularly in various documents that reflect and address these issues in the EU.

On the other hand, EDN aims to develop important initiatives such as: “National Girls in STEM Program”; “Digital Skills Passport”, among others. However, in terms of digital ethics and digital rights, not only does it not provide for any initiative or action plan, but it also doesn’t address these issues either in the context of digital education or in the retraining of people who are already in the job market.