Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced plans to bar children under 16 from using social media and to require platforms to put in place strict age-verification systems. Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Sánchez framed the move as an effort to bring safety and accountability to what he called the “digital Wild West,” and warned that platform leaders could face criminal charges if they fail to remove illegal or hateful material.
Sánchez said children today are navigating online spaces they were never meant to handle alone — environments prone to addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation and violence — and that the government will act to protect them. He added that the new rules will begin being rolled out next week and that regulators will examine how algorithms may manipulate or amplify harmful content, specifically mentioning Elon Musk’s Grok as well as Instagram and TikTok as subjects of scrutiny.
The Spanish proposal follows comparable moves in other countries. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently said he is open to considering a social media ban for minors, while Australia implemented rules in December requiring platforms to block account access to users under 16.
Separately, Spain is bringing cryptocurrency platforms in line with the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework adopted in 2023. MiCA gives crypto firms that were operating before December 2024 until June 30 to meet the new rules or cease offering services. Spain’s national securities regulator published guidance in December outlining the authorization, notification and compliance steps it expects under MiCA.
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