February 3, 2026
No Kids, No Clicks?
Spain to ban social media access for under-16s, PM Sanchez says
Parents cheer, teens plot VPNs; privacy hawks warn "bye‑bye anonymity"
TLDR: Spain plans to ban social media for under‑16s and make execs liable for hate speech, joining a broader crackdown. Comments split between parental cheers, privacy alarms about ID checks, and worries about isolating vulnerable teens—plus jokes about banning seniors and predictions of a VPN arms race.
Spain just dropped a bombshell: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wants a ban on social media for under‑16s, tougher age checks, and even personal liability for tech bosses over hate speech—plus a cross‑border squad called the Coalition of the Digitally Willing. With Greece lining up a similar ban and Australia already on board, the thread ignited like a comment section bonfire.
The spiciest reactions? One camp fist‑pumped—“finally!”—with rimbo789 calling it “10 years too late” and joking that next we should ban seniors, which sparked a frenzy of “OK boomer” memes. Privacy die‑hards fired back hard: budududuroiu thundered about mass de‑anonymization, warning you can’t verify under‑16s without ID’ing everyone. Meanwhile, circuit10 raised the stakes on the human side, fearing bans would isolate neurodivergent teens and those who rely on online spaces to socialize and build tech skills.
Other commenters smelled a global pile‑on: “Governments everywhere are following suit,” said andrewstuart, while pjc50 wondered if this wave is happening now because toxic platforms finally crossed a line—especially after the AI content explosion and the Grok scandal. Cue memes of Sánchez as the Digital Wild West sheriff, teens posting “Baby’s First VPN,” and snark like “Age check? More like ID choke.” The only thing hotter than this policy debate is the comments debating who gets locked out—and who gets locked in.
Key Points
- •Spain will move to ban social media use for under-16s and Greece plans a similar under-15 ban, citing harm from addictive platforms and content exposure.
- •Spain will introduce a bill to hold social media executives personally liable for illegal and hate-speech content and to criminalise algorithmic manipulation and amplification of illegal content.
- •Platforms would be required to implement robust age-verification systems and a system to track online hate speech is proposed.
- •Spain joined a six-country “Coalition of the Digitally Willing” to coordinate cross-border enforcement; the EU’s Digital Services Act is now in force.
- •Prosecutors will explore potential legal infractions by Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot, TikTok, and Instagram; the legislative process could begin next week.