Spain Becomes Another European Nation to Announce Social Media Ban for Teens

In a further escalation of Europe’s push to safeguard young users from the perils of online platforms, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday that his government will introduce legislation to ban social media access for children under 16.

The announcement positioned Spain as the latest European nation to follow Australia’s lead in imposing age restrictions amid mounting concerns over mental health, addiction, and harmful content.

The move, revealed during Sánchez’s address at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, reflects a growing continental consensus that tech giants must be reined in, with several EU countries advancing similar prohibitions in a coordinated effort to create a safer digital environment for minors. Sánchez described the initiative as a critical stand against the “digital Wild West,” where children face unchecked exposure to addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation, and violence.

“Our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone… We will no longer accept that,” he declared, emphasizing the need to “protect them from the digital Wild West.”

The ban is part of a comprehensive five-point package aimed at holding platforms accountable and curbing systemic risks. Key elements of Spain’s proposed measures include:

• An outright prohibition on social media access for those under 16, enforced through rigorous age-verification systems that go beyond “mere checkboxes” to ensure effectiveness.
• Legislation making social media executives personally and criminally liable for failing to remove illegal or hate-speech content.
• Criminalization of algorithmic manipulation and the amplification of illegal material on platforms.
• Creation of a national system to track and quantify online “footprints of hate and polarization,” providing data-driven oversight.
• Directives for prosecutors to investigate potential legal violations by specific platforms, including Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot, TikTok, and Instagram (owned by Meta).

The government plans to amend an existing draft bill on digital protection for minors, currently under parliamentary debate, with the new legislation introduced as early as next week. The current draft already proposes raising the age of consent for personal data processing to 16, aligning with the social media access threshold, but the amendment would explicitly bar registration for under-16s, allowing limited supervised use only with guardian permission.

Spain’s decision builds on strong public backing: An August 2025 Ipsos poll across 30 countries found 82% of Spaniards supporting a ban for children under 14 in and out of school—up from 73% in 2024—rising to 74% among school-age parents globally. Sánchez, one of Europe’s few center-left leaders, has long criticized social media owners as a “techno-caste” poisoning society through addictive algorithms, a stance he amplified last year.

However, the announcement has drawn sharp criticism from tech figures. Elon Musk labeled Sánchez a “tyrant” on X, warning of censorship risks.

Spain is not acting in isolation. Sánchez revealed the formation of a “Coalition of the Digitally Willing,” comprising Spain and five unnamed European partners, to coordinate cross-border enforcement and share regulatory best practices. The group’s inaugural meeting is slated for the coming days, aiming to address the transnational nature of platforms: “We know that this is a battle that far exceeds the boundaries of any country.”

This coalition underscores a broader European trend increasingly mirroring Australia’s pioneering December 2025 ban on social media for under-16s, which deactivated nearly 5 million teen accounts in its first weeks and set a global precedent. European nations, grappling with similar concerns over screen time’s impact on youth development, mental health, and exposure to harmful content, are accelerating restrictions:

• France: The lower house of parliament approved a bill in late January 2026 banning social media for under-15s, backed by President Emmanuel Macron, with implementation eyed for September 2026. The measure, following an overnight debate, now heads to the Senate and includes stricter age verification and school phone bans.
• Greece: A senior government source indicated on February 3 that Greece is close to announcing a ban for under-15s, aligning with Spain’s push for coordinated action.
• Denmark: Announced in October 2025, Denmark aims to prohibit access for under-15s, citing mental health risks.
• United Kingdom: Launched a consultation in January 2026 on banning under-16s, part of tightened laws to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time.
• European Parliament: Called for an EU-wide ban on under-16s in November 2025, urging bloc-level coordination.
• Other Nations: Countries like Malaysia, Norway, and New Zealand are planning similar measures, while the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), effective since early 2024, already mandates content moderation and risk assessments, though enforcement has been criticized for inconsistencies.

The rapid explosion of AI-generated content has fueled the urgency, highlighted by recent outcry over Grok’s generation of non-consensual sexualized images, including of minors, despite new curbs. Reuters found the chatbot still producing such content when users explicitly warn of non-consent.

While proponents like Sánchez argue these steps reclaim democratic control over addictive platforms, critics warn of overreach, privacy intrusions from age verification, and potential censorship tensions under the DSA. Implementation challenges, including VPN circumvention and enforcement across borders, loom large, as seen in Australia’s early experience.

With public support high and international precedents growing, the regulatory push could redefine how platforms operate in the region, prioritizing child protection over unfettered innovation. Yet, the absence of consensus among EU states risks fragmenting the single market, testing the bloc’s ability to unite against digital threats.