Spain Sets New Social Media Age Restrictions for Minors

Spain plans to ban social media access for minors under 16, requiring platforms to set up age verification systems, as announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The government will also introduce legislation to hold social media companies accountable for unlawful content. This follows similar actions by Australia.

Spain is taking a significant step in digital regulation by banning social media access for minors under the age of 16. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez revealed the plan during his address at the World Government Summit in Dubai, emphasizing the necessity of age verification systems on social media platforms.

"Our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone," Sanchez stated. "We will no longer accept that." His government is gearing up to implement a new bill aimed at holding social media executives responsible for illegal and hateful digital content.

This decision by Spain follows Australia's pioneering move in December when it became the first country to implement such a ban. Other nations, including Britain and France, are also observing these developments closely as they consider adopting similar age-based regulations for online platforms.