Feb 3, 2026, 5:31 p.mFeb 3, 2026, 5:31 p.m
Following Australia’s example, Spain also wants to ban social media for everyone under the age of 16. “Spain is now putting its words into action,” said Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the World Government Summit in Dubai, as the government press office in Madrid announced. This includes banning access to social media for minors under 16, ending impunity for social platform managers who do not comply with deletion orders, and creating a system to trace hate comments. Sánchez did not say how this would be achieved.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.Image: keystone
Social media like a “failed state”
The head of government compared social media to a “failed state in which laws are ignored and crimes are tolerated”. There is already a corresponding initiative in the Spanish Parliament by Sánchez’s minority government for age restrictions, which is also fundamentally supported by the largest opposition party, the conservative People’s Party PP. However, many detailed questions are still unresolved.
If the planned measures also endanger the profit prospects of large US tech companies, Spain could incur the wrath of US President Donald Trump. Sánchez emphasized that there would be a “zero tolerance policy” towards any form of external coercion.
Pioneer Australia
In Australia, children and young people under the age of 16 have recently been banned from having their own social media accounts on many major platforms. In Great Britain, the House of Lords also voted last week for a social media ban up to the age of 16, which now has to go through the House of Commons. In Denmark, the government agreed with the opposition to introduce a national age limit of 15 for access to certain social media. This is also being discussed in Germany. (hkl/sda/dpa)