Spain Moves to Shield Youth: Social Media Ban for Under-16s

Spain plans to ban social media for children under 16 to protect them from harmful content. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez proposed the regulation at a UAE summit, joining countries like Australia and France in implementing age-verification systems to prevent minors from accessing social media.

Spain is set to implement a ban on social media access for those under the age of 16, a move aimed at guarding the younger population from harmful online content, as announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Sanchez, speaking at a summit in the United Arab Emirates, criticized major tech firms for allowing illegal online content and urged governments not to ignore the issue. The ban aligns Spain with nations such as Australia and France, which are also tightening restrictions on minors' social media use.

The initiative will require social media platforms to establish effective age verification measures, beyond simple checkboxes, to comply with the new regulation. This comes amid broader European efforts to regulate digital protections for minors.

(With inputs from agencies.)