Overview
- Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced in Dubai that Spain will seek to bar under‑16s from using social networks, requiring platforms to implement robust age‑verification systems that go beyond self‑declared checkboxes.
- The package would make platform executives legally responsible for failing to remove illegal or hate‑inciting content and would criminalize manipulating algorithms to amplify unlawful material.
- Spain says it will coordinate with the Fiscalía on investigations, develop a tool to trace a “footprint of hate and polarization,” and join a six‑country coalition to align social‑media regulation.
- Passage is uncertain because the government lacks a majority, as Vox denounced the plan as a path to censorship while the center‑right Popular Party signaled prior support for similar restrictions.
- Australia’s ban for under‑16s took effect in December, with platforms blocking millions of accounts; Snapchat reported 415,000 removals and warned current verification tech has a two‑to‑three‑year accuracy margin that leaves loopholes.