World News
Spain to ban social media access for children under 16
Spain will prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday at the World Government Summit in Dubai.
Spain will prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday at the World Government Summit in Dubai.
Under the proposed rules, social media companies will be required to implement robust age verification systems to prevent minors under 16 from using their services.
“Our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone… We will no longer accept that,” Sánchez said. “We will protect them from the digital Wild West.”
The Spanish government plans to introduce a new bill next week that would also hold social media executives accountable for illegal and hateful content on their platforms.
Global context
Spain’s move follows a similar policy introduced by Australia, which in December became the first country to ban social media access for children under 16.
The Spanish initiative is being closely watched by other governments—such as the United Kingdom and France—that are considering age-based social media restrictions.
