By Alimat Aliyeva

Spain is planning to ban access to social media for minors under the age of 16, requiring platforms to introduce mandatory age-verification systems, Azernews reports.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who unveiled a package of measures aimed at creating a safer digital environment for young people.

The government has repeatedly expressed concern over the spread of hate speech, pornographic material, and disinformation on social media, arguing that such content has a harmful impact on children and teenagers.

“Our children find themselves in a space they were never meant to navigate alone,” Sánchez said while speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai. “We will no longer tolerate this situation.”

“We are going to protect them from the digital Wild West,” he added, urging other European countries to consider adopting similar measures.

In December, Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media access for children under 16—a move that is now being closely watched by governments exploring comparable restrictions.

Sánchez also announced that a new bill will be presented next week. The legislation would hold social media executives personally accountable for illegal content and hate speech, while also criminalizing algorithm manipulation and the distribution of unlawful material.

Studies in Spain show that teenagers spend an average of over four hours a day on social media, with most accessing platforms before the age of 13. Experts say stricter age controls could significantly reshape how tech companies design their platforms—potentially accelerating the development of child-safe versions of social networks across Europe.