Spain Plans Social Media Ban for Under-16s

Madrid/Dubai: Spain plans to ban social media access for children under 16 to protect them from harmful content such as pornography, violence, and manipulation, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday.

Speaking at a summit in Dubai, Sánchez said platforms will be required to implement effective age verification systems, not just simple checkboxes, to ensure children are kept safe online. He also proposed legal reforms to make tech executives criminally liable for failing to remove illegal or hateful content.

LHC Seeks Reply on Social Media Ban

The announcement drew a sharp response from X owner Elon Musk, who called Sánchez a “Dirty Sanchez,” a “tyrant,” and the “true fascist totalitarian,” using a poop emoji in his posts. Musk also criticized French authorities for police raids on X’s Paris offices over alleged political interference and sexual deepfakes.

Sánchez first suggested restricting social media access for under-16s in November and detailed a package of five measures, set to begin approval next week. However, his coalition government lacks a parliamentary majority, which may complicate passing the legislation.

Spain would join countries like Australia, France, Portugal, Denmark, and Greece in implementing stricter online protections for minors, part of a broader push across the European Union.