Spain has announced a new step aimed at enhancing the safety of children and teenagers in the digital space. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez revealed that his country intends to ban the use of social media for those under the age of 16, requiring digital platforms to implement strict age verification systems, according to Reuters. The announcement was made during a speech by Sánchez on Tuesday on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai. He emphasized that children are now exposed to content unsuitable for their age, stating: "Our children are facing a digital environment that they were not meant to browse on their own... and we will not continue to accept this situation." The Prime Minister explained that this step is part of a broader package of measures to ensure a safer digital environment, amid growing concerns about the spread of hate speech, pornographic content, and misinformation on social media, and the accompanying negative psychological and social effects on minors. Sánchez described the current digital space as a "wild west," affirming that his government is determined to put an end to this chaos and calling on other European countries to adopt similar measures to protect young generations. In the same context, he announced that the Spanish government will present a new bill next week, aiming to hold social media companies accountable for illegal content and hate speech, as well as criminalize the manipulation of algorithms that contributes to the amplification of this type of content.
