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Spain will move to prohibit access to social media for children under the age of 16, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced, citing the need to shield minors from harmful online material, including pornography and violence.
Speaking at a summit in Dubai on Tuesday, Sánchez said the proposed restriction would form part of a broader package of digital safety reforms aimed at tightening oversight of online platforms and increasing accountability for tech companies.
“Spain will ban access to social media for minors under the age of 16. Platforms will be required to implement effective age verification systems, not just checkboxes, but real barriers that work,” Sánchez said.
He added that young people are increasingly exposed to digital environments that pose serious psychological and moral risks.
“Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone. Space of addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation, violence. We will no longer accept that.”
The Socialist leader also pledged to introduce legal changes that would make the chief executives of technology companies “face criminal liability for failing to remove illegal or hateful content” from their platforms.
Sánchez had first raised the possibility of restricting social media access for under-16s in November. However, the proposals face a legislative hurdle. Sánchez’s coalition government does not hold a parliamentary majority and has frequently encountered difficulty in passing contentious laws.
Spain’s initiative follows similar moves elsewhere. Australia became the first country in December to impose restrictions preventing young teenagers from accessing major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. France and Portugal have signalled similar intentions, while Spain has joined Denmark, Greece, and France in advocating coordinated action on the issue across the European Union.
