Spain becomes first country in Europe to ban social media for under-16s

▤ Summary

Spain announced a ban preventing under-16s from accessing social media and will require platforms to implement robust age-verification systems. The measures target major platforms such as Meta's Instagram, ByteDance's TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube, X and Reddit, and introduce legal accountability for executives and new offenses for algorithmic manipulation. Spain frames the move as following Australia's precedent and says several other European countries are moving toward similar restrictions. Major tech firms have pushed back or pursued legal challenges in other markets, and regulators have not yet defined which firms will be covered under Spain's rules.

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