Spain has rolled out a nationwide restriction barring minors under 16 from accessing social media platforms, positioning itself as the first European nation to adopt such stringent controls, following a blueprint laid out by Australia, as officials ramp up pressure on tech behemoths to safeguard young users.
The ban, slated to kick in next week, mandates robust age-verification protocols on services like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, beyond mere self-declaration, according to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who unveiled the initiative at the World Government Summit in Dubai.
Sanchez branded social media a “failed state” riddled with lawlessness, criminality and disinformation, declaring: “Social media is a failed state where laws are ignored, crime is endured, disinformation prevails, and users face hate speech.”
He stressed the imperative to shield children from “addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation, and violence,” framing the policy as part of five sweeping actions targeting digital giants.
Under the reforms, executives could face legal repercussions for neglecting to purge harmful or unregulated material, while algorithmic boosts of illegal content would constitute a crime.
Sanchez singled out platforms for lapses, accusing TikTok of hosting AI-generated child abuse imagery, X’s Grok of producing illicit sexual content, and Instagram of surveilling Android users—claims prompting requests for clarification from the companies.
The move mirrors Australia’s Online Safety Amendment Act, enforced since December, which compels age checks on major sites and imposes hefty fines up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million) for violations.
Tech responses have been guarded: Meta reported deactivating 550,000 underage accounts and advocated for alternatives to outright bans, cautioning that adolescents might evade curbs, while pushing for incentives to foster safer online spaces.
Reddit has mounted a court challenge against Australia’s legislation, contending it stifles political discourse and proves ineffective.
Hurdles loom in execution, including devising foolproof verification and pinpointing liable entities, as five other European states enforce tougher rules, with France and Britain poised to follow suit pending legislative nods.
