Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has doubled down on plans to restrict social media access for minors, insisting that pressure from powerful technology figures will not alter the government's course.
Speaking in Madrid on Thursday, Sánchez accused major platform owners of using their reach to spread misleading narratives about Spain's proposed legislation, which would block under-16s from accessing social media and hold executives accountable for hate speech hosted on their services.
The remarks follow public criticism from tech leaders, including X owner Elon Musk and Telegram founder Pavel Durov. Both figures denounced the Spanish proposal earlier this week, framing it as an overreach that could lead to increased surveillance and government control over online content. In a reference to El Quijote, Sánchez wrote on X:
<social>https://x.com/sanchezcastejon/status/2019120630252105896?s=20</social>
Sánchez rejected that narrative outright, arguing that democratic institutions must not bow to what he described as algorithm-driven power concentrated in a few hands. He also pointed to the recent mass messages sent through social platforms as evidence of why stronger regulation is necessary.
His stance aligns it with several European countries reassessing the role of social media in public life, particularly for younger users. Australia moved further than any Western nation late last year by introducing a nationwide ban for children under 16, a decision that has reignited the global debate.
The Spanish government has framed the backlash itself as proof of the problem, arguing that the ability of platform owners to instantly reach millions underscores the need for clearer rules and greater accountability...
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