Spain Plans to Ban Under-16 Kids from Social Media

Spain will follow the Australian example and ban children under-16 from accessing social media. This would step up pressure on platforms to introduce robust age verification and hold executives accountable for illegal content.

Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that social media had become a digital wild west run by companies wealthier and more powerful than many nations, including mine.“Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone. A space of addiction, abuse, violence, pornography, manipulation, and more violence.”

Sanchez said Spain would require platforms to deploy stronger age verification systems, insisting the checks must not just check boxes, but real barriers that work. He also declared a tougher hand on tech leadership, stating that the CEOs of tech platforms will face criminal charges for failing to remove illegal or hate-inciting content. In addition, the government plans to introduce legislation to criminalise the manipulation of algorithms that amplify illegal material.

Sanchez added prosecutors would work with the government to investigate potential violations by X’s Grok, TikTok, and Instagram, framing the effort as part of a broader push to defend Spain’s digital sovereignty. Spain has joined what Sanchez called a “Coalition of the Digitally Willing” to coordinate cross-border regulation across Europe. Sanchez said that this is a battle that far exceeds the boundaries of any country, adding that Spain would begin the legislative process next week.

In response to Spain’s plans, X owner Elon Musk took to the social media platform to call Sanchez a tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain. His latest comments are in line with previous criticism of Australia’s landmark ban. In September 2025, Musk called the Australian government fascists.