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 liable for legal 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 beneath 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 not dwell in a world the place international tech oligarchs can flood our telephones with propaganda at will just because the federal government has introduced measures to guard minors and implement the regulation.”
So what’s the dispute about, and why has it turn out to be so heated?
What has Sanchez introduced?
Talking on the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday, Sanchez mentioned that by banning social media for youngsters beneath 16, Spain aimed to “defend them from the digital Wild West”.
At present, social media platforms equivalent to Fb and TikTok require customers to be not less than 13 years previous.
Sanchez mentioned, “Our youngsters are uncovered to an area they had been by no means meant to navigate alone … We’ll now not settle for that.”
Sanchez added that Spain would additionally devise a regulation to carry social media firm executives liable for the unlawful, hateful or dangerous content material on their platforms.
“The ability of the state is there to guard democracies from the assaults they undergo and in addition youngsters and adolescents from that poisonous, unpunished world that social media has sadly turn out to be,” Sanchez mentioned.
“They gained’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 bunch of 5 European international locations, which he termed the “Coalition of the Digitally Prepared”, to debate cross-border regulation of social media.
Sanchez didn’t present particulars of what this collaborative effort might entail, nor did he identify which international locations would take part, however added that they might 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 could be launched as an modification to an current 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 individuals of Spain.”
He then reposted the video of the speech, writing, once more: “Soiled Sanchez is a tyrant and traitor to the individuals of Spain.”
Grok, which is the AI platform on X, was the primary cell software in Spain final month, Musk claimed.
Nevertheless, Musk has been accused of platforming the far-right and white supremacists, significantly in Europe. He addressed a political rally of the far-right Different for Germany (AfD) social gathering within the German metropolis of Halle final yr.
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 legal 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 beneath judicial supervision, however the case stays open.
What do individuals in Spain need?
The Ipsos Schooling Monitor 2025, revealed in late August 2025, reported that 82 % of individuals in Spain help banning social media for youngsters beneath the age of 14, an increase from 73 % in 2024.
The survey was performed in 30 international locations, and a majority of respondents in all 30 international locations supported banning social media for youngsters beneath 14.
Whereas social media has lengthy supplied quick access to unregulated graphic content material, misinformation and hate speech, the current explosion of AI‑generated materials poses new dangers to the wellbeing of youngsters and younger individuals, specialists say.
The American Psychological Affiliation revealed an advisory final yr warning that generative AI programs can amplify dangerous content material equivalent 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 acknowledged.
AI may amplify pre-existing societal prejudices, in line with Ayo Tometi, co-creator of the US-based antiracist motion Black Lives Matter.
Youngsters worldwide are additionally frightened in regards to the misuse of AI for on-line little one sexual exploitation and “deepfakes”, in line with UNICEF analysis on youngsters’s views and AI revealed in October 2025.
Governments look like taking this severely.
Musk’s Grok just lately got here beneath fireplace for permitting customers to generate sexually express faux photographs of ladies and minors. This triggered an investigation by the European Fee final month.
On Tuesday, French prosecutors raided X’s places of work in France as a part of an investigation into allegations together with spreading Little one 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 provide dangerous sexualised picture and video content material,” the workplace famous.
In December 2025, Australia banned youngsters beneath 16 from social media, turning into the world’s first nation to take action. Beneath the regulation, 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, in line with officers.
“We stared down all people who mentioned it couldn’t be finished, a few of the strongest and wealthy firms on the 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 Courtroom, whereas nonetheless complying with it.
In 2023, France adopted a regulation mandating that social media platforms get hold of parental consent earlier than youngsters beneath 15 might 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 beneath 14 want parental consent to arrange social media accounts.
Final yr, 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 will introduce a ban on social media platforms for youngsters beneath 15. Most events mentioned they might again this transfer in a parliamentary vote.
In the identical month, Malaysia mentioned it will ban social media for individuals beneath the age of 16, ranging from 2026.
In January, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer introduced that his nation was contemplating a ban just like the one in Australia.
Greece can even announce an analogous social media ban to the Spanish one for youngsters beneath the age of 15, Reuters reported on Tuesday, quoting an unnamed senior authorities supply.
