Spain leads EU social media ban for under-16s – will Hungary join?

Another European government has reached the conclusion that regulating social media can no longer be delayed, especially when it comes to children. In recent months, decisions have been made one after another that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, but today, ignoring them would carry significant political risk.

The latest measure comes from Spain, where Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that his government would ban social media use for those under 16 and require platforms to implement not just formal, but genuinely effective age verification.

Spain’s plan is part of a broader regulatory package, which Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez justified as a way to regain control over the digital space.

“Governments must stop turning a blind eye to the spread of toxic content,” the Spanish prime minister said.

As part of this regulatory package, Madrid is preparing legislative proposals that would hold social media company executives legally accountable for distributing illegal content. It would also create a new tool to monitor the online spread of disinformation, hate speech, and child pornography. The plans further include criminalizing the manipulation of algorithms and the deliberate amplification of illegal content.

Sánchez stated that authorities would specifically target platforms whose algorithms boost misleading content for business interests.

“We will examine those platforms whose algorithms amplify disinformation for profit.”

The prime minister added that spreading hate must have concrete consequences, both legal and economic, as well as moral.

According to a government source, Greece is also close to announcing a similar ban for children under 15. In December, Australia became the first country in the world to prohibit access to such platforms for those under 16.

A shift in Europe

The process of regulating social media is underway in parallel across multiple European countries, even if the solutions are not identical everywhere. France has already passed a law that would practically make social media use impossible for those under 15, while a ban for under-15s is being prepared in Denmark. In Portugal, the debate centers on access tied to parental consent.