Spain to ban social media access for children under 16

Spain moves to protect minors online, banning social media for under-16s and requiring platforms to verify users’ ages. The government will also hold social media executives accountable for illegal and harmful content.

Reuters

February 3, 2026

Spain to ban social media access for children under 16

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks during a press conference after attending a special summit of European Union leaders to discuss transatlantic relations following U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to impose new tariffs on goods from a list of EU countries over his demand to acquire Greenland, in Brussels, Belgium January 23, 2026.

Yves Herman/Reuters

Spain will ban access to social media for minors under 16 and platforms will be required to implement age verification systems, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday at the World Government Summit in Dubai.

"Our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone... We will no longer accept that," Sanchez said. "We will protect them from the digital Wild West."

He added that his government would also introduce a new bill next week to hold social media executives accountable for illegal and hateful content.

Australia in December became the first country to ban social media for children under 16.

It's a move being closely watched by other countries considering similar age-based measures, such as Britain and France.

-Reporting by David Latona, Emma Pinedo and Victoria Waldersee; editing by Charlie Devereux/Reuters