DUBAI, Feb 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Spain will seek to ban social media for under-16s to protect them from harmful content such as pornography and violence, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday, in the latest such move by governments.

"Spain will ban access to social media for minors under the age of 16. Platforms will be required to implement effective age verification systems, not just checkboxes, but real barriers that work," Sanchez told a summit in Dubai.

"Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone. Space of addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation, violence. We will no longer accept that."

The Socialist leader also pledged to change Spanish law to make the chief executives of tech platforms "face criminal liability for failing to remove illegal or hateful content".

Sanchez had broached a social media ban for under-16s in November, but fleshed out his idea on Tuesday in a package of five measures to be approved "starting next week".

However, his coalition government lacks a parliamentary majority and often struggles to pass legislation.

Australia established a world first in December when it banned young teenagers from some of the world's most popular platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

France and Portugal have also sought to follow suit. Spain has joined Denmark, Greece and France in leading a push for similar action across the European Union.