Spain will ban social media access for minors under the age of 16, and platforms will be required to implement age verification systems, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said today at this year's World Government Summit in Dubai, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
“Our children are vulnerable in a space that was never meant to be their own... We will not accept this anymore,“ 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 content.
In December, Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under 16.
It is a move that is being closely watched by other countries such as Britain and France, which are considering similar age-based measures.