Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday plans to ban social media use by teenagers and enact a law that would hold network executives accountable for failing to curb illegal content such as hate speech. The move would make Spain the first European Union country to restrict social media use for minors, as a growing number of governments tighten rules to protect children online. Greece may be next.
Addressing the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday, Sánchez said enforcement must go beyond self-reported age checks. “Platforms must implement effective age-verification systems, not just checkboxes, but real barriers that work,” he said.
If Spain moves ahead with the decision, which media reports say will take effect in the coming period, it would be the first EU member state to impose nationwide age-based restrictions on social media use and the second country globally after Australia. Under the new framework, social media companies would be required to implement robust age-verification systems, while executives could face personal liability for non-compliance.
Australia was the first country to introduce a nationwide ban on social media use for under-16s last year. France, Denmark, Portugal, and Norway have since signaled plans to introduce similar restrictions, reflecting mounting concern over children’s online safety and mental health.
Following Spain’s decision on Tuesday to limit access to social media platforms for users under 16, a senior Greek government source told Reuters that Greece was also “very close” to announcing similar measures for children under 15.
First Steps Taken in Greece
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis raised the issue publicly last fall, citing online safety risks and the growing impact of artificial intelligence on children.
Speaking at the “Protecting Children in the Digital Age” event, organized by Australia on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Mitsotakis said Greece was prepared to move toward age-based restrictions on social media.
“We in Greece are ready to go a step further and seriously consider banning social media use by setting age restrictions like those implemented in Australia,” he said, adding that he had instructed his team to work closely with Australian counterparts on implementation.
Mitsotakis also pointed to measures already adopted domestically, including the ban on smartphones in schools, which he described as a “massive change” in classroom dynamics. He also referred to the launch of a parental control tool on the gov.gr platform, designed to link children’s data with online services to help verify age eligibility.
Greek government proposals under discussion include banning social media logins for children under 15, introducing tools that automatically block access on devices identified as being used by underage users, and extending under-18 restrictions for gambling and adult content as part of a broader digital protection framework.
Concerns Over Teens’ Health and Safety
The push to restrict social media access for minors comes amid growing concern over online safety, addictive design features, and the impact of social media on young people’s mental wellbeing.
Last year, the European Commission published guidelines on protecting minors under the Digital Services Act, urging platforms to improve age verification and reduce harmful content exposure. The European Parliament has also backed a harmonized minimum age of 16 for social media access across the EU, with parental consent required for users aged 13 to 16.
The proposed measures call on platforms to disable addictive features for minors and strengthen safeguards aimed at protecting children and teenagers online.
Source: tovima.com
