Spain to Ban Social Media for Under-16s, PM Sanchez Announces

• Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a ban on social media access for minors under 16, requiring platforms to implement robust age-verification systems.
• The government aims to protect young people from hate speech, pornography, and disinformation, which they believe negatively impact youth.
• Sanchez made the announcement at the World Government Summit in Dubai, urging other European nations to adopt similar protective measures.
• Spain has joined a 'Coalition of the Digitally Willing' with five other European countries to coordinate cross-border digital regulation.
• New legislation will hold social media executives accountable for illegal content, criminalize algorithmic manipulation, and allow investigation into platforms like Grok, TikTok, and Instagram.

Why It Matters: Spain will ban social media for under-16s and hold platforms accountable to create a safer digital environment.