Spain Proposes Under-16 Social Media Ban to Protect Children, PM Tells WGS

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Tuesday announced that his government will move to ban children under 16 from using social media platforms, citing growing concerns over online safety and digital addiction.

Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai, Sánchez unveiled a six-point plan aimed at restoring what he described as the “promised land” of the internet.

“Our children are being exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone,” he said. “A space of addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation and violence. We will no longer accept this, and we will protect them from the digital Wild West.”

The proposed move follows similar steps taken by other countries. Australia imposed a comparable ban last year, while French lawmakers recently approved legislation restricting access for users under 15. The United Kingdom is also considering tighter controls.

To implement the ban, the Spanish government plans to require social media companies to introduce strict age-verification systems. It is also set to introduce a bill next week that would hold platform executives accountable for hosting illegal and hateful content.

Sánchez added that Spain has joined five other European nations in a group he called the “Coalition of the Digitally Willing,” aimed at coordinating and enforcing cross-border digital regulations.