European Nations Consider Teen Social Media Bans, Elon Musk Expresses Fury
- tech360.tv
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
Spain and Greece have proposed bans on social media use for teenagers, as European attitudes harden against technology some say is designed to be addictive. Measures announced by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez drew criticism from Elon Musk.
Prime Minister Sanchez stated Spain intends to prohibit social media for those under 16 years of age. A senior government source in Greece indicated the country is near announcing a comparable ban for children younger than 15.
Prime Minister Sanchez also reported his government plans to create a law holding social media executives personally accountable for hate speech on their platforms. The proposed ban on social media use for minors would be implemented as an alteration to an existing bill on digital protection for minors, currently under parliamentary debate.
The owner of X, Elon Musk, reacted to Prime Minister Sanchez’s proposals concerning social media platforms. Mr. Musk stated on X that Prime Minister Sanchez was a tyrant and a traitor to the people of Spain. He later intensified his criticism, asserting Prime Minister Sanchez was the true fascist totalitarian.
Spain and Greece are among countries, including Britain and France, considering stricter approaches to social media. Australia became the first nation to prohibit platform access for children younger than 16.
Governments and regulators globally are examining the impact of children’s screen time on their development and mental wellbeing. Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Prime Minister Sanchez said children were exposed to spaces they were not meant to navigate alone. He added that his government would no longer accept this and would protect children from the digital Wild West.
Snapchat stated that the Australian ban leaves significant gaps, which could undermine its goals. These include limitations in age verification technology and the potential for users to switch to unregulated messaging applications.
Prime Minister Sanchez indicated Spain is joining five other European countries in a "Coalition of the Digitally Willing" to coordinate cross-border regulation. The countries were not named, and their first meeting is expected soon. Prime Minister Sanchez noted that this is a battle exceeding the boundaries of any single country; his office did not provide clarification.
Legislation to ban children under 15 from social media is progressing through France's parliament. Britain is also considering comparable measures.
Diana Diaz, director of the ANAR Foundation for at-risk children and adolescents, said Spain’s proposed regulation would provide parents clear support to set limits. It would also alleviate social pressure for children concerned about missing out.
The recent increase in AI-generated content, and public outcry regarding reports of Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot generating non-consensual sexual images, including of minors, has intensified debate. This debate focuses on the risks posed by such online content. Jose Cesar Perales, a professor in experimental psychology at the University of Granada, noted there was no unanimous agreement that social media harms adolescents.
Prime Minister Sanchez stated that prosecutors would investigate possible legal infractions by Elon Musk’s Grok, TikTok, and Instagram, which is part of Meta. An Ipsos poll on education across 30 countries found that 82% of Spaniards believed children under 14 should be banned from social media. This percentage was an increase from 73% in 2024.
Miguel Abad, a 19-year-old student in Madrid, said the measure was positive for encouraging children to play together instead of using mobile phones in parks. In Australia, social media companies deactivated nearly 5 million accounts belonging to teenagers shortly after a ban took effect, according to the internet regulator. This suggests the measure could have a broad impact.
Spain and Greece are proposing social media bans for teenagers, with Spain targeting under-16s and Greece aiming for under-15s.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also plans to hold social media executives personally responsible for hate speech.
Elon Musk, owner of X, reacted strongly, calling Prime Minister Sanchez a "tyrant and a traitor" and a "fascist totalitarian."
Source: REUTERS