Spain draws the line as social media bans for teens gain global momentum

Spain is set to introduce one of Europe’s toughest measures yet on children and social media, announcing a ban on social media platforms for those under the age of 16.

Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said platforms will be required to implement strict age verification systems, describing the current online ecosystem as a digital space where regulation has failed to keep children safe.

“Social media has become a failed state, where laws are ignored and crimes are tolerated,” Sanchez said, adding that children must be protected from what he described as the digital “Wild West”.

The Spanish government will also table legislation to hold social media executives accountable for illegal and hateful content, shifting responsibility from users to those who run and profit from the platforms.

Spain’s move follows Australia, which became the first country in the world to enforce a nationwide ban on social media use for children under 16 in December.

Australian regulators reported that around 4.7 million underage accounts were removed after the law came into force. However, authorities also acknowledged enforcement challenges, with reports of children finding ways to bypass age checks. The experience has highlighted a key reality. Regulation alone is only part of the solution.

Across Europe, similar conversations are turning into concrete action. France has approved legislation banning social media for children under 15, a move strongly backed by President Emmanuel Macron, who argued that children’s brains and dreams should not be shaped by algorithms.

Meanwhile, countries such as the United Kingdom, Denmark and Greece are actively exploring similar restrictions, including stricter age verification and parental consent requirements.

As more governments step in, the debate is shifting from whether social media should be regulated for children to how far those limits should go.

For families, the issue is increasingly personal. Where does protection end and independence begin in a digital childhood?

With Spain joining Australia and France in taking firm action, it is becoming clear that tighter rules for young users may soon become the global norm, not the exception.