Whip for TikTok and Instagram. Spain will cut off children under 16 from social media

Spain will introduce a ban on access to social networks for people under 16 years of age and new regulations aimed at increasing the responsibility of website owners for publishing illegal content, announced Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday.

“We will protect minors from the digital Wild West,” Sanchez said, speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Tuesday. – Our children are exposed to spaces in which they should never move on their own. We will no longer accept this, added the Prime Minister.

Sanchez also announced that the management of social networking sites would be held criminally liable in the event of publishing illegal content, hate speech or manipulation of algorithms. The government in Madrid and the Spanish prosecutor's office will investigate possible violations of regulations by Grok, TikTok and Instagram.

The Spanish government is expected to adopt new regulations next week.

The first country to ban social media use for people under 16 was Australia; the new law was adopted in December.

Sanchez has long criticized the functioning of social networks, including: for spreading hate speech and disinformation. A year ago, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Prime Minister called for an end to “anonymity in social networks.”

– Just as a restaurant owner is responsible if his customers poison themselves, social media owners should be responsible if they poison public debate – said the Spanish Prime Minister then, talking about threats to democracy.

From Madrid Marcin Furdyna (PAP)

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