Spain set to ban social media for children under 16

"Spain will join the growing list of countries banning access to social media for children, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez Tuesday. The law will apply to users under 16 years of age amidst a broader push to hold social media companies accountable for hate speech, social division and illegal content. at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Prime Minister Sanchez excoriated social media, calling it a "failed state" where "laws are ignored and crime is endured.""

"In light of what Sanchez called the "integral" role social media plays in the lives of young users, he said the best way to help them is to "take back control." Next week, his government will enact a slew of new regulations, with a ban on users under 16 years of age among them. Social media companies will be required to implement what he calls "effective age verification systems" and "not just checkboxes.""

Spain will ban access to social media for users under 16 as part of a broader push to hold platforms accountable for hate speech, social division, and illegal content. The government will require effective age verification systems beyond simple checkboxes. Algorithmic manipulation and amplification of illegal content will be criminalized, and tech CEOs will face criminal liability for hateful or illegal platform content. Spain has formed a coalition with five other European countries to pursue stricter governance. Specific enforcement timelines for the new measures have not been announced.

Read at Engadget