Spain and Greece have moved toward banning teenagers from social media as European governments reassess the risks digital platforms pose to children.
Spain and Greece detailed plans on Tuesday (4 February) for new age-based restrictions on social media, signalling a stronger European shift toward protecting minors online. Spain intends to block access for under-16s, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.
Sánchez told the World Governments Summit in Dubai that “our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone ... We will no longer accept that,” adding, “We will protect them from the digital Wild West.”
A senior Greek government source said Athens is preparing a similar ban for children under 15, according to Reuters.
Sánchez said Spain will join five other European countries in what he called the “Coalition of the Digitally Willing,” set to coordinate regulation across borders.
“We know that this is a battle that far exceeds the boundaries of any country,” he said. His office has not named the participating states.
Companies have begun responding to new global scrutiny. Snapchat said the Australian rules “leave significant gaps that could undermine its goals,” pointing to weak age verification tools and the risk of teenagers moving to unregulated messaging apps.
Sánchez said a new Spanish law would make social media executives personally responsible for hate speech on their platforms. He also said prosecutors would study potential legal infractions involving Elon Musk’s Grok AI system, as well as TikTok and Instagram.
The surge in AI-generated material, and reports that Grok produced non-consensual sexual images including of minors, has intensified debate over risks for younger users.
The proposed ban will be incorporated into amendments to an existing bill on digital protection for minors now being debated in parliament. Supporters say it could help parents enforce limits and reduce pressure on teenagers who fear missing out.
An Ipsos poll last August found that 82% of Spaniards support barring under-14s from social media, up from 73% in 2024.
In Madrid, 19-year-old student Miguel Abad said, “It’s a good measure to encourage children to play with each other and not be on their mobile phones in parks, which I think is terrible, to be honest.”
Australia’s regulator said nearly five million teenage accounts were deactivated within weeks of its ban taking effect.
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The United Arab Emirates has set a minimum age of 15 for social media use, becoming the first Arab country to introduce such a restriction as governments worldwide seek to address growing concerns over the impact of online platforms on children.
The United Kingdom is set to introduce a sweeping ban on social media access for children under 16 following a landmark government announcement this month.
The European Commission has warned of growing risks social media poses to children and teenagers on Tuesday 16 June, as Brussels moves closer to tightening protections for minors online.
Canada’s Privacy Commissioner has found that xAI’s Grok chatbot and its parent company X Corp. violated federal privacy law by launching an AI image-generation tool without adequate safeguards, enabling the creation and distribution of non-consensual sexualised deepfakes.
France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.
Japan remained on high alert Saturday as Typhoon Mekkhala approached the eastern coast after Typhoon Higos weakened into a tropical depression. Authorities warned of continued heavy rain, flooding, and landslides, according to media reports.
A tanker reported being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Britain's maritime security agency said, after the United States and Iran each launched strikes in the worst escalation since they signed their interim peace deal.
Germany and Poland are bracing for sweltering conditions as a deadly heatwave that has gripped Western Europe moves east, with temperatures expected to approach 40°C over the weekend.
Iran had a stoppage-time goal disallowed as they drew 1-1 with Egypt in their final Group G match at Seattle Stadium on Friday.
The death toll in the twin earthquakes which rocked Venezuela earlier this week has risen to 1,450, top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said on Saturday. Another 3,200 people were injured and 3,100 left homeless by the disaster, he added on state television.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the country is going through a “difficult period”, but has learned much from it, according to state news agency TASS.
Pope Leo has expressed solidarity with people in Venezuela after twin earthquakes struck the country earlier this week, causing widespread damage and leaving communities in urgent need of assistance.
Eleven people were killed when a small plane carrying skydivers crashed near Nancy in eastern France on Sunday, local officials said.
France has recorded 1,000 excess deaths during the severe heatwave that swept across Europe, according to the country's public health agency, which warned the final toll is likely to rise.
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