Spain has become the latest European country to make plans to ban social media for children under the age of 16. We will protect them from the digital Wild West, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday.
The ban, which still needs parliamentary approval, is part of a raft of changes that include making company executives responsible for 'illegal or harmful content' on their platforms.
Australia became the world's first country to bring in a ban last year, with others watching - and judging - its success. France, Denmark, and Austria have also announced that they are considering their own national age limits.
The UK government has launched a consultation on whether to implement a ban for under-16s. Social media companies have argued that the bans would be ineffective, difficult to implement, and could isolate vulnerable teenagers. Reddit is challenging Australia's ban in the High Court.
Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone, Sánchez said, describing social media as a place of 'addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation [and] violence. We will no longer accept that. We will protect them.
Sánchez first suggested a possible ban in November, but on Tuesday, the plan was fleshed out. Under the changes, social media platforms would be required to have effective age verification systems. The new laws would also criminalize manipulating algorithms to amplify illegal content.
This move follows investigations into various digital platforms concerning the spread of harmful content. Sánchez expressed a commitment to hold accountable those responsible for content that promotes division and hate.
While the People's Party, Spain's main opposition party, appears supportive, the far-right Vox party has criticized the initiative. In a response, X owner Elon Musk labeled Sánchez a 'tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain'. TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, Discord, and Meta have been approached for comment as the situation evolves.
The ban, which still needs parliamentary approval, is part of a raft of changes that include making company executives responsible for 'illegal or harmful content' on their platforms.
Australia became the world's first country to bring in a ban last year, with others watching - and judging - its success. France, Denmark, and Austria have also announced that they are considering their own national age limits.
The UK government has launched a consultation on whether to implement a ban for under-16s. Social media companies have argued that the bans would be ineffective, difficult to implement, and could isolate vulnerable teenagers. Reddit is challenging Australia's ban in the High Court.
Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone, Sánchez said, describing social media as a place of 'addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation [and] violence. We will no longer accept that. We will protect them.
Sánchez first suggested a possible ban in November, but on Tuesday, the plan was fleshed out. Under the changes, social media platforms would be required to have effective age verification systems. The new laws would also criminalize manipulating algorithms to amplify illegal content.
This move follows investigations into various digital platforms concerning the spread of harmful content. Sánchez expressed a commitment to hold accountable those responsible for content that promotes division and hate.
While the People's Party, Spain's main opposition party, appears supportive, the far-right Vox party has criticized the initiative. In a response, X owner Elon Musk labeled Sánchez a 'tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain'. TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, Discord, and Meta have been approached for comment as the situation evolves.
