The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchezhas launched one of the offensives Europe’s most aggressive policies against major social media platforms, presenting the fight as a battle for children safetythe democratic integrity and what he calls the “digital sovereignty” from Spain.
On February 3, in Dubai, Sánchez proposed banning minors under 16 years of age from accessing social networks and force platforms to implement age controls.
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Its package of measures also increases pressure on corporate leaders, seeking criminal liability for executives who repeatedly fail to remove illegal or hateful contentand proposing to criminalize algorithmic manipulation that amplifies illicit material for profit. He later presented the broader fight as a protection for democracy and children, rejecting the idea that regulation amounts to censorship and warning against “algorithm techno-oligarchs.”
Two weeks later, on February 17, Sánchez announced that Spain will ask the prosecutor’s office to evaluate whether X, Meta and TikTok should be investigated for their role in the images of child sexual abuse generated by AI and shared on their platforms. “The impunity of these giants must end“he wrote in X, arguing that the dignity, privacy and mental health of minors are being eroded in a digital environment marked by speed, opacity and monetization.
Officials have cited research suggesting that a significant proportion of young Spaniards, especially girls, have faced fake AI-generated nude images being minors. Elon Musk, owner of X, responded by calling Sánchez a “tyrant and traitor”while the founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, warned the Spanish about “dangerous” rules that could lead to a “surveillance state.” Within Spain, Vice President Yolanda Díaz announced her resignation from X, and Youth Minister Sira Rego has proposed a total ban on the platform.
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Sánchez does not act in a vacuum. The ban on social media for minors under 16 years of age imposed in Australia in December set a global precedent. France, Denmark and other European governments are considering similar age limits. At the same time, X and Grok (X’s AI bot) face increasing scrutiny across Europe, including raids on their offices in France and regulatory pressure in Ireland.
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