Europe

Spain Will Bar Under-16s From Social Media, Says Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez

Sanchez announced new age restrictions and criminal penalties for platform executives, citing online harms to children.
Spain Will Bar Under-16s From Social Media, Says Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks during a press conference after the plenary session at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25, 2025. Markus Schreiber/AP
Evgenia Filimianova
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Spain will ban access to social media for minors under the age of 16, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Feb. 3, outlining what he described as sweeping measures to shield children from harmful online content.

Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Sanchez said Spain would require platforms to adopt robust age-verification systems.

Evgenia Filimianova
Evgenia Filimianova
Author
Evgenia Filimianova is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of international stories, with a particular interest in foreign policy, economy, and UK politics.