In a move that mirrors Australia’s landmark legislation, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, that Spain will officially prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms. Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Sánchez described the current digital landscape as a “failed state” and pledged to shield minors from the “digital Wild West” of pornography, violence, and algorithmic manipulation.
Unlike previous guidelines that relied on simple “tick-box” declarations, the new Spanish law will mandate that tech giants implement rigorous age-verification systems. Sánchez emphasized that platforms must build “real barriers that work” to ensure the ban is effectively enforced.
- Age Threshold: Absolute ban for minors under 16 years old.
- Verification: Mandatory transition from self-declaration to verified age checks.
- Criminal Liability: A new bill, to be presented as early as next week, will hold platform executives criminally liable for failing to remove illegal, hateful, or harmful content.
The announcement places Spain at the forefront of a growing international movement to regulate Big Tech. Sánchez’s plan includes making the manipulation of algorithms a criminal offense, a direct hit at the addictive designs used by platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
“Social media companies are richer than many countries, including mine, but their power and influence should not frighten us,” Sánchez declared. “We are going to defend our digital sovereignty against any foreign interference.”
The Prime Minister cited specific concerns regarding disinformation—specifically naming Elon Musk’s Grok and X (formerly Twitter)—as well as the AI-driven creation of child sexual abuse material. While the left-wing coalition government currently lacks a firm parliamentary majority, this package of five major digital safety measures is scheduled for approval starting next week.
Spain joins a list of nations including France, Portugal, and the United Kingdom that are considering or implementing similar age-based restrictions. Australia paved the way in December 2025 by enacting one of the world’s strictest bans, imposing fines of up to $33 million (49.5 million AUD) on companies that fail to keep underage users off their services. As the European Union moves toward broader restrictions under the Digital Services Act (DSA), Spain’s aggressive stance signals a shift from recommendation to strict criminal enforcement.
Key Highlights:
- National Ban: Spain will prohibit social media access for all children under the age of 16 to prevent exposure to violence and addiction.
- Executive Accountability: New legislation will hold tech CEOs criminally responsible if their platforms fail to moderate illegal content effectively.
- Verification Mandate: Social media companies must implement strict age-verification tools rather than simple user-attested checkmarks.
- Algorithmic Regulation: The bill will criminalize the manipulation of algorithms that amplify illegal or harmful disinformation.