- Spain enforces strict social media ban for under-16s, becoming the first European nation to follow Australia’s precedent, citing online harms like addiction, hate speech and exploitation.
- Five aggressive measures announced: Criminal liability for executives failing to remove “illegal or hateful content”; ban on algorithmic amplification of harmful content; tracking platforms’ role in spreading division and hate speech; investigation of AI-generated crimes by TikTok, Instagram and Elon Musk’s Grok; and strict age verification for social media access.
- Critics warn of censorship risks, with Musk calling Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez a “fascist totalitarian” and opponents arguing vague definitions of “hate speech” could suppress dissent.
- France, Denmark and the United Kingdom are considering similar bans, while Australia has already implemented fines for non-compliance – despite pushback from Meta and legal challenges.
- Supporters argue bans protect children’s mental health, while skeptics see government overreach and a slippery slope toward digital authoritarianism.
Spain has announced sweeping new regulations to ban social media access for children under 16, becoming the first European nation to follow Australia’s controversial precedent.
Erb News Network 
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