Spain restricts social media for children, Musk reacts
Spain has announced plans to ban children under the age of 16 from using social media, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez unveiled the proposal on Tuesday at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, arguing that children are being left alone in a digital space marked by addiction, abuse, manipulation and violence. He said the state has a duty to intervene and protect young users.
The ban would require parliamentary approval and would form part of broader legislation on digital protection for minors that is already under debate.
Under the plan, social media platforms would be required to introduce effective age verification systems. Sánchez also said Spain intends to make it a criminal offence to manipulate algorithms to amplify illegal content and to hold company executives legally responsible if harmful or unlawful material is not removed.
The proposed measures include the creation of a system to track how online platforms fuel hate and social division. Prosecutors would also explore potential legal violations linked to platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, as well as Grok, the artificial intelligence tool associated with X, amid concerns over the spread of illegal and sexualized content.
The announcement has drawn sharp criticism from Elon Musk. In a post on his platform X, he wrote that Sánchez is “the true fascist totalitarian.”
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported on similar decisions by other countries to restrict or ban social media access.
Australia became the first country to introduce a nationwide ban on social media for under 16s late last year. France, Denmark, Austria and the United Kingdom are also considering tougher age limits, while Greece is close to announcing a ban for children under 15.
