Spain plans to prohibit access to social media platforms for children under 16 and will introduce legislation to hold social media executives personally responsible for hate speech and harmful content on their platforms, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Tuesday.
Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Sanchez said the move aims to protect young people from digital spaces “they were never meant to navigate alone.” He added, “We will no longer accept that. We will protect them from the digital Wild West,” while urging other European countries to adopt similar measures.
Spain joins a growing number of nations, including Britain and France, considering social media restrictions for minors. Australia became the first country to ban access to social media for under-16s in December 2025. Governments worldwide are increasingly examining the effects of children’s screen time on their mental health and development.
Sanchez also revealed that Spain has formed a collaborative effort with five other European countries, dubbed the “Coalition of the Digitally Willing,” to coordinate cross-border regulation of social media. The coalition’s first meeting is scheduled in the coming days, though Sanchez did not disclose the member countries.
Highlighting the global scale of the issue, Sanchez said, “We know that this is a battle that far exceeds the boundaries of any country.” He has previously criticized social media executives, referring to them as a “techno-caste” responsible for “poisoning society” with algorithm-driven content.
The announcement comes amid heightened scrutiny over online content and artificial intelligence.
The European Union’s Digital Services Act, fully implemented in early 2024, already requires platforms to moderate harmful content. Critics argue that these measures raise complex tensions between responsible governance and censorship.
Recent controversies have intensified the debate, including reports this month that Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, generated non-consensual sexual imagery, including of minors, highlighting the urgent need for stronger oversight of online platforms.
Representatives from X, Google, TikTok, Snapchat, and Meta had not immediately responded to requests for comment on Spain’s proposed measures.
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