Fuerteventura TV's Self‑Employed Workers Story Goes Viral

The news segment from the popular local channel has crossed the island’s borders, shining a spotlight on the struggle of the Canary Islands’ self‑employed across the whole country.

The self‑employed in the archipelago have launched a fifteen‑day cash‑only campaign, refusing to accept card payments through point‑of‑sale terminals. The video posted by Fuerteventura Television has already been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.

While the initiative will inevitably lead to lost sales, around 800 self‑employed workers are protesting what they consider suffocating bank fees and are refusing to use the terminals.

Social media has amplified the message nationwide, highlighting that “the commissions for card payments are an abuse, just like for remittances,” according to critics of the current banking practices. Voices from across Spain are joining the criticism of these banking formulas.

Some observers warn that the next step by authorities could be the imposition of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)—electronically issued money that holds the same value as physical currency but exists in digital form.

The rollout of CBDCs, such as the digital euro, raises serious debates about financial privacy. Because the money would be issued directly by the central bank and linked to users’ digital identities, it could enable greater governmental tracking and control over how and when money is spent.