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Spain to ban social media platforms for children under 16, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announces

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Spain to Ban Social Media for Children Under 16

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Elon Musk calls Pedro Snchez a tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain

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Spain becomes first country in Europe to ban social media for under-16s

Anthony Albanese

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Terry Flew

Australian Human Rights Commission

Aaron Mackey

Joanne Orlando

Melissa McIntosh

Damini Satija

Julie Inman Grant

Timothy Koskie

"They took the easy option, and it will fail."

“New accounts are being created and the age-verification tools that the government assured Australians would be effective, have proven laughably easy to bypass with some makeup and good lighting.”

“Tech-savvy teens simply use VPNs, fake birth photos for face scans, or migrate to less regulated platforms like Lemon8, or to platforms not part of the ban like video games. Enforcement is proving to be difficult in the days leading up to the ban.”

"Some verification methods are often inaccurate while others are easily circumvented.”

"Technological workarounds – such as VPNs and false age declarations – may undermine the effectiveness of the ban."

"This law will also push many users toward platforms that are more personal and private, like Telegram channels, WhatsApp Communities, and Signal Groups, which are not currently banned because they are important tools for encrypted and direct communication."

David Inserra

“Ultimately, reducing online harm would be a great outcome; however, we know from evidence that ‘banning’ anything from young people won’t work on its own.”

Louise La Sala

“There’s a fair amount of teething problems around it. Many young people have been posting on TikTok that they successfully evaded the age limitations and that’s to be expected.”

"I think it will help a lot of parents because it's not them saying no, it's an actual law."

Cassie Xintavelonis

“We don’t expect safety laws to eliminate every single breach. If we did, speed limits would have failed because people speed, drinking limits would have failed because, believe it or not, some kids do get access to alcohol.”

“The fact that teenagers occasionally find a way to have a drink doesn’t diminish the value of having a clear national standard.”

"Just as the banning of phones in school classrooms by many state governments hasn't on day one led to perfect compliance, now it's just accepted that there are improved educational outcomes, improved behaviour, improved social outcomes as a result."

"Australia's social media ban is already driving change, and is proof that the threat of regulation works, even before the law takes effect. Waiting for perfect policy risks paralysis when real progress is already within reach.”

Will Australia's Under 16 Social Media Ban be Effective?

Spain will ban social media platforms for children under the age of 16, with platforms required to implement age verification systems, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday at the World Government Summit in Dubai.

Pedro Sanchez

Spain will ban social media platforms for children under the age of 16, with platforms required to implement age verification systems, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday at the World Government Summit in Dubai.

Sánchez also stated that his government would introduce a new bill next week to hold social media executives accountable for illegal and hateful content. The Spanish prime minister argued that social networks have become a "failed state in which laws are ignored, crimes are tolerated."

Sánchez also stated that his government would introduce a new bill next week to hold social media executives accountable for illegal and hateful content. The Spanish prime minister argued that social networks have become a "failed state in which laws are ignored, crimes are tolerated."

Further measures announced include turning algorithmic amplification of illegal content, such as disinformation, into a criminal offense, implementing a "hate and polarization footprint" for social media platforms as well as a public investigation into alleged social media infringements by Grok, TikTok and Instagram.

Further measures announced include turning algorithmic amplification of illegal content, such as disinformation, into a criminal offense, implementing a "hate and polarization footprint" for social media platforms as well as a public investigation into alleged social media infringements by Grok, TikTok and Instagram.

In response to the news, Elon Musk called Sánchez a "tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain" as well as a "true fascist totalitarian" on X.

Elon Musk

In response to the news, Elon Musk called Sánchez a "tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain" as well as a "true fascist totalitarian" on X.

Australia became the first country <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2025/australia-enforces-social-media-ban-for-children-under-">to ban social media for children under 16</a> in December 2025, with the internet regulator reporting that social media companies removed around 4.7 million accounts held by under-16s to comply with the law.

Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under 16 in December 2025, with the internet regulator reporting that social media companies removed around 4.7 million accounts held by under-16s to comply with the law.

This comes as France approved a bill banning social media for children under 15 last month as <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2026/musk-exx-ceo-summoned-in-french-criminal-probe">X's French offices were raided</a> by public prosecutors on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the U.K. government has launched a public consultation into a possible social media ban for children.

Global Government Affairs on X

This comes as France approved a bill banning social media for children under 15 last month as X's French offices were raided by public prosecutors on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the U.K. government has launched a public consultation into a possible social media ban for children.

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Spain will ban social media platforms for children under the age of 16, with platforms required to implement age verification systems, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Tuesday at the World Government Summit in Dubai.

Spain will ban social media platforms for children under the age of 16, with platforms required to implement age verification systems, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Tuesday at the World Government Summit in Dubai.

Sanchez stated that his government would introduce a new bill next week to hold social media executives accountable for illegal and hateful content. The Spanish prime minister argued that social networks have become a "failed state in which laws are ignored, crimes are tolerated."

Sanchez stated that his government would introduce a new bill next week to hold social media executives accountable for illegal and hateful content. The Spanish prime minister argued that social networks have become a "failed state in which laws are ignored, crimes are tolerated."

Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under 16 in December, with the internet regulator reporting that social media companies removed around 4.7 million accounts held by under-16s to comply with the law.

Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under 16 in December, with the internet regulator reporting that social media companies removed around 4.7 million accounts held by under-16s to comply with the law.

France approved a bill banning social media for children under 15 last month. French President Emmanuel Macron requested that the legislation be fast-tracked and it will now be discussed by the Senate in the coming weeks.

France approved a bill banning social media for children under 15 last month. French President Emmanuel Macron requested that the legislation be fast-tracked and it will now be discussed by the Senate in the coming weeks.

Elon Musk called Pedro Sanchez a "tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain" after the Spanish prime minister announced measures aimed at ending impunity for social media platforms and their executives.

El Mundo

Elon Musk called Pedro Sanchez a "tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain" after the Spanish prime minister announced measures aimed at ending impunity for social media platforms and their executives.

About 82% of people in Spain believed children under 14 should be banned from social media, according to an Ipsos poll on education published in August last year, up from 73% in 2024.

About 82% of people in Spain believed children under 14 should be banned from social media, according to an Ipsos poll on education published in August last year, up from 73% in 2024.

Spain to Ban Social Media for Children Under 16

Spain to Ban Social Media for Children Under 16

The Controversies

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Orlando

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Commission

Inserra

Sala

Flew

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Spain to Ban Social Media for Children Under 16

Spain to Ban Social Media for Children Under 16

The Controversies

Australia

McIntosh

Orlando

Mackey

Commission

Inserra

Sala

Flew

Xintavelonis

Grant

Albanese

Albanese

Koskie

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