Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has clashed with social media platform house owners over plans to ban social media for under-16s within the nation.
Describing social media platforms because the “Wild West”, Sanchez introduced plans to carry platform executives accountable for prison or dangerous content material.
Social media executives, together with tech billionaire and X proprietor Elon Musk and the Russian Telegram founder Pavel Durov, hit again, with Elon Musk calling Sanchez a “true fascist totalitarian” over the proposed measures this week.
Then, in an open Telegram message to all customers in Spain, Durov accused Sanchez’s authorities of “pushing harmful new laws that threaten your web freedoms”.
He claimed the measures would flip Spain “right into a surveillance state below the guise of ‘safety’”.
In response, unnamed authorities sources informed the media: “Telegram founder Pavel Durov used his unrestricted management of the app to ship a mass message to all customers in Spain, spreading a number of lies and making illegitimate assaults towards the federal government. That is the primary time this has occurred in our nation’s historical past.
“Spaniards can’t stay in a world the place overseas tech oligarchs can flood our telephones with propaganda at will just because the federal government has introduced measures to guard minors and implement the legislation.”
So what’s the dispute about, and why has it develop into so heated?
What has Sanchez introduced?
Talking on the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday, Sanchez mentioned that by banning social media for kids below 16, Spain aimed to “shield them from the digital Wild West”.
Presently, social media platforms corresponding to Fb and TikTok require customers to be at the least 13 years outdated.
Sanchez mentioned, “Our youngsters are uncovered to an area they have been by no means meant to navigate alone … We’ll not settle for that.”
Sanchez added that Spain would additionally devise a legislation to carry social media firm executives accountable for the unlawful, hateful or dangerous content material on their platforms.
“The facility of the state is there to guard democracies from the assaults they endure and in addition youngsters and adolescents from that poisonous, unpunished world that social media has sadly develop into,” Sanchez mentioned.
“They received’t break us, as a result of the voice of cause … won’t be silenced by these techno-oligarchs of the algorithm.”
Sanchez additionally introduced that Spain has joined a gaggle of 5 European international locations, which he termed the “Coalition of the Digitally Keen”, to debate cross-border regulation of social media.
Sanchez didn’t present particulars of what this collaborative effort may entail, nor did he identify which international locations would take part, however added that they’d meet within the upcoming days.
“We all know that this can be a battle that far exceeds the boundaries of any nation,” he mentioned.
The proposed ban can be launched as an modification to an present invoice on digital safety for minors that’s at present being debated in parliament, the Reuters information company reported, quoting an unnamed authorities spokesperson.
Furiously. On Tuesday, Musk responded to a video of Sanchez’s speech on X, writing: “He’s a traitor to the folks of Spain.”
He then reposted the video of the speech, writing, once more: “Soiled Sanchez is a tyrant and traitor to the folks of Spain.”
Grok, which is the AI platform on X, was the primary cellular software in Spain final month, Musk claimed.
Nevertheless, Musk has been accused of platforming the far-right and white supremacists, notably in Europe. He addressed a political rally of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party within the German metropolis of Halle final 12 months.
On Wednesday, Telegram founder Pavel Durov additionally lashed out at Sanchez in a message on Telegram, writing: “These aren’t safeguards; they’re steps towards whole management. We’ve seen this playbook earlier than – governments weaponizing ‘security’ to censor critics.”
Durov was arrested in Paris in August 2024 for failing to curb alleged prison exercise on the messaging app and was charged with 12 offences. He denied any wrongdoing in a press release final March. He was allowed to go away France in March below judicial supervision, however the case stays open.
What do folks in Spain need?
The Ipsos Training Monitor 2025, printed in late August 2025, reported that 82 % of individuals in Spain assist banning social media for kids below the age of 14, an increase from 73 % in 2024.
The survey was carried out in 30 international locations, and a majority of respondents in all 30 international locations supported banning social media for kids below 14.
Whereas social media has lengthy offered easy accessibility to unregulated graphic content material, misinformation and hate speech, the latest explosion of AI‑generated materials poses new dangers to the wellbeing of kids and younger folks, consultants say.
The American Psychological Affiliation printed an advisory final 12 months warning that generative AI techniques can amplify dangerous content material corresponding to violent or sexual movies.
It additionally added that adolescents are much less possible than adults to query the accuracy of AI-generated content material. “They could even be unaware of the persuasive intent underlying an AI system’s recommendation or bias,” the advisory said.
AI may also amplify pre-existing societal prejudices, based on Ayo Tometi, co-creator of the US-based antiracist motion Black Lives Matter.
Kids worldwide are additionally nervous in regards to the misuse of AI for on-line little one sexual exploitation and “deepfakes”, based on UNICEF analysis on youngsters’s views and AI printed in October 2025.
Governments seem like taking this critically.
Musk’s Grok just lately got here below fireplace for permitting customers to generate sexually specific pretend photos of ladies and minors. This triggered an investigation by the European Fee final month.
On Tuesday, French prosecutors raided X’s workplaces in France as a part of an investigation into allegations together with spreading Youngster Sexual Assault Materials (CSAM).
On the identical day, the UK’s Info Commissioner’s Workplace (ICO) opened a proper investigation “in relation to the Grok synthetic intelligence system and its potential to supply dangerous sexualised picture and video content material,” the workplace famous.
In December 2025, Australia banned children under 16 from social media, changing into the world’s first nation to take action. Beneath the legislation, 10 of the most important platforms will face $33m in fines in the event that they fail to take “affordable steps” to purge Australian-based customers youthful than 16.
As of January 16, social media firms revoked entry to about 4.7 million accounts recognized as belonging to youngsters in Australia, based on officers.
“We stared down all people who mentioned it couldn’t be completed, a number of the strongest and wealthy firms on this planet and their supporters,” Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells informed reporters final month.
Days after Australia’s ban took impact, Reddit, which was one of many 10 platforms required to purge minors, lodged a problem to the ban within the Excessive Court docket, whereas nonetheless complying with it.
In 2023, France adopted a legislation mandating that social media platforms receive parental consent earlier than youngsters below 15 may open accounts. Nevertheless, native media report that technical difficulties have hampered enforcement.
In Germany, youngsters aged between 13 and 16 require parental consent to have the ability to use social media platforms. In Italy, youngsters below 14 want parental consent to arrange social media accounts.
Final 12 months, the Chinese language web regulator Our on-line world Administration of China (CAC) launched a “minor mode” that applies system‑degree controls and app-specific guidelines to restrict display screen time by age.
In November 2025, Denmark mentioned it could introduce a ban on social media platforms for kids below 15. Most events mentioned they’d again this transfer in a parliamentary vote.
In the identical month, Malaysia mentioned it could ban social media for folks below the age of 16, ranging from 2026.
In January, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer introduced that his nation was contemplating a ban much like the one in Australia.
Greece can even announce an analogous social media ban to the Spanish one for kids below the age of 15, Reuters reported on Tuesday, quoting an unnamed senior authorities supply.
