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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Germany's ruling conservatives on Saturday (21 February) passed a motion to ban social media use for under 14s and introduce more stringent digital verification checks for teenagers, building momentum for such limits in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.
Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify in a high-profile trial in Los Angeles examining claims that the company’s platforms contributed to youth addiction and mental health harm.
Spain’s government has instructed prosecutors to investigate social media platforms X, Meta and TikTok over the alleged creation and dissemination of AI-generated child sexual abuse material, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday.
Portugal's parliament approved a bill on Thursday (12 February), on its first reading, requiring explicit parental consent for children aged 13 to 16-years old to access social media, in one of the first concrete legislative moves in Europe to impose such restrictions.
A seven-month-old Japanese macaque has drawn international attention after forming an unusual bond with a stuffed orangutan toy after being rejected by its mother.
Pakistan said it carried out cross-border strikes on militant targets inside Afghanistan after blaming a series of recent suicide bombings, including attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, on fighters it said were operating from Afghan territory.
Italy said a fond farewell to the Winter Olympics on Sunday with an open-air ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena that celebrated art and sporting achievement at a Games lauded as a model for how to stage such events.
The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva on Thursday as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to reach a potential agreement, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced on Sunday.
Islamic State claimed two attacks on Syrian army personnel on Saturday (22 February), saying they marked the start of a new phase of operations against the country’s leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
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The United Nations mission in Afghanistan said on Monday it had received “credible reports” that at least 13 civilians were killed and seven others injured in overnight Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.
The former British ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson has been arrested by police in London on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
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