Madrid (Spain): Spain will prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms and require companies to introduce robust age verification mechanisms, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Tuesday at the World Government Summit in Dubai.
Calling the online ecosystem a “digital Wild West,” Sanchez said minors are being exposed to environments they are not equipped to handle alone. “Our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate on their own, and we will no longer accept that,” he said, stressing that the government has a responsibility to shield young users from online harm.
The Spanish government is also set to introduce a new bill next week aimed at tightening accountability for social media companies. Under the proposed legislation, executives could be held personally responsible for the spread of illegal or hateful content on their platforms, signalling a tougher regulatory stance toward big tech firms.
Spain’s move follows a growing global push to regulate minors’ access to social media. In December, Australia became the first country to impose a nationwide ban on social media use for children under 16, a step that has sparked international debate and drawn close attention from policymakers elsewhere.
Countries such as the United Kingdom and France are also exploring age-based restrictions and stronger safeguards for minors, amid rising concerns over mental health, online abuse and exposure to harmful content.
With this announcement, Spain positions itself at the forefront of a broader international effort to reshape how young people interact with social media and to compel platforms to take greater responsibility for user safety.
