Spain to ban social media access for under 16s, PM announces

Spain will prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms and introduce stricter regulations to hold tech executives legally responsible for violations on their networks, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on February 3.

Speaking at the plenary session of the World Government Summit in Dubai, which brings together around 30 heads of state and government, Sánchez said the aim is to make digital platforms “healthy spaces” for users, Caliber.Az reports, citing Spanish media.

The new measures, set to be approved by the government next week, will require platforms to implement effective age controls and robust barriers to prevent underage access.

Legal accountability for platforms

Sánchez confirmed that social media companies will be held legally responsible for infractions occurring on their platforms. The manipulation of algorithms and the amplification of illegal content will be criminalised, and Spain will work with the Public Prosecutor’s Office to investigate potential legal violations by TikTok, Instagram, and Grok.

The government will also introduce a system to track, quantify, and trace what Sánchez called “a footprint of hate and polarisation” online.

European coordination

Spain has joined five other European countries in the "Coalition of the Digitally Willing" to ensure coordinated and effective enforcement of stricter social media regulations. The coalition’s first meeting is expected in the coming days.

Sánchez argued that such measures are necessary because social media has become “a failed state, a place where laws are ignored, crimes tolerated, misinformation outweighs truth, and half of users suffer attacks of hate.”

Examples of platform misconduct

He cited TikTok for allegedly tolerating malicious accounts that share AI-generated child pornography, Instagram for spying on millions of Android users worldwide, and Facebook for being used to run “hundreds of disinformation campaigns and foreign election interference.”

The Prime Minister also criticised Elon Musk, owner of X, for using his personal account to spread misinformation regarding Spain’s regularisation of half a million immigrants.

Sovereignty and determination

Sánchez acknowledged the challenges of regulating platforms that are wealthier and more powerful than many countries, including Spain, but stressed that “their power and influence should not intimidate us, because our determination is greater than their wealth.”

He concluded by pledging that Spain will adopt a “zero-tolerance” approach and defend its digital sovereignty.

By Aghakazim Guliyev