Spain is set to prohibit social media access for individuals under 16 years old in order to shield them from damaging material, including pornography and violent content, according to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, as part of a growing trend among governments worldwide, reports RTE.
“Spain will ban access to social media for minors under the age of 16. Platforms will be required to implement effective age verification systems, not just checkboxes, but real barriers that work,” Mr Sanchez told a summit in Dubai, reports RTE.
“Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone. Space of addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation, violence. We will no longer accept that,” reports RTE.
He further committed to amending Spanish legislation so that chief executives of technology companies could face criminal responsibility if they fail to eliminate illegal or hateful material.
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Mr Sanchez first raised the possibility of a social media ban for under-16s back in November, but he has now detailed his proposal as part of a five-point package that is expected to be approved beginning next week, reports RTE.
That said, his coalition government does not hold a parliamentary majority and frequently faces challenges in getting laws passed.
In December, Australia became the first country globally to impose a ban on young teenagers using several of the most widely used platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, reports RTE.
France and Portugal have also moved in a similar direction, while Spain has aligned with Denmark, Greece, and France to advocate for comparable steps throughout the European Union, reports RTE.
Last week, Tánaiste Simon Harris stated that Ireland must forbid social media use for anyone under the age of 16.
He emphasised the need for a “baring of teeth” along with proper enforcement of the age of digital consent, reports RTE.
Ireland’s Data Protection Act 2018 established the age of digital consent at 16.
This requires that online service providers, including social media platforms which depend on consent as the lawful basis for handling personal data, must secure parental consent for children, reports RTE.
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