Spain's Social Security goes paperless: online notifications only

Spain's Social Security goes paperless: online notifications only

From now on, Spain's Social Security will stop sending paper letters. All notifications will be electronic, with very few exceptions. The announcement, which went largely unnoticed in the mainstream media, marks a forced leap into the digital world that leaves behind those without access to technology or the skills to use it.

The exceptions: paper is still allowed, but under conditions

The order allows for paper notifications in three cases: when the person appears in person and requests it, when a civil servant delivers it directly for efficiency reasons, and when electronic notification is incompatible with the required estimulante ilegal. Beyond that, everything is digital.

Digital and rural divide: the forgotten ones

The main problem is digital exclusion. In small villages, many people have no computer or smartphone – or don't know how to use them – and are unfamiliar with digital certificates. The Social Security system assumes everyone is connected, but the reality is that a significant share of the working population doesn't even use WhatsApp.

A final irony: saving paper for propaganda

While the administration saves paper on official notifications, mailboxes are filling up with electoral propaganda: every party sends out dozens of letters during a campaign. Sustainability seems to apply only when it's convenient.

The debate over this technological imposition is now irreversible. The current exceptions may be temporary. The question is how many people will be cut off from their rights for lacking a digital certificate.