Spain Joins Australia in Restricting Social Media Access for Under 16

Spain has become the first European country to announce a ban on social media for children under 16, following Australia’s world-first move last year. The decision is part of a broader effort to tighten digital rules and hold tech platforms accountable for harmful online content.

“Social media have become a failed state, where laws are ignored and crimes are tolerated,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said at the World Government Summit in Dubai. He framed the plan as a way to reduce exposure to harmful content and violence online, saying:

“Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone: a space of addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation, and violence. We will no longer accept that. We will protect them from the digital Wild West.”

Spain aims to introduce an age-based restriction that blocks children under 16 from accessing social media platforms unless they are verified through what Sánchez called “real barriers that work.”

The government also plans to amend the national law to hold top executives accountable if they fail to remove illegal or hateful content. It aims to criminalize algorithmic manipulation and the online spread of illegal material.

Australia became the first country to ban social media for under-16s in December 2025, a rule that has already prompted platforms to deactivate millions of accounts believed to belong to minors. Other countries are watching closely.

Several European nations are pursuing similar steps. France’s National Assembly passed a bill restricting social media for under-16s, which still needs Senate approval, while British lawmakers have debated age-based limits. Sánchez said Spain has joined a group of European countries pushing for faster and tougher regulation across the bloc, though he did not specify which countries.

In the Philippines, there is no official ban on social media for under-16s. That said, there has been some legislative movement: Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson filed a bill proposing age restrictions for social media users as a way to address online harms for minors, but it is still under discussion and has not become law.

Spain’s decision underscores a growing global debate over children’s digital safety. As more countries experiment with age limits and stricter online regulations, it raises questions about how societies can balance access to technology with protection from harmful content.

Want tips on guiding kids online? Click here to read our full guide on responsible social media use for kids.