Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that his government plans to ban accessing social media platforms for children under the age of 16, citing concerns about online safety and harmful digital content. Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai, Sanchez said social media companies would be required to introduce robust age verification mechanisms to enforce the restriction.
The proposed measure is expected to be approved by Spain’s Council of Ministers next week and would amend a draft bill currently under discussion in parliament. While existing legislation seeks to limit social media access to users aged 16 and above, the revised proposal would explicitly prohibit minors from registering on such platforms.
Spain’s move comes amid a broader European push to tighten regulations on children’s online activity. In a row earlier, Denmark announced plans to bar people under 15 from social media, while France is working toward implementing similar restrictions. In Portugal, draft legislation has been introduced that would require parental consent for minors aged under 16 to access social media platforms.
