Spain to Ban Social Media for Children Under 16

Are social media bans protecting children from harmful content or enabling government control of online speech?

Published 8 hours ago

Spain to Ban Social Media for Children Under 16

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Above: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, UAE on Feb. 3. Image credit: Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Left narrative

Tech giants have operated as unaccountable failed states for too long, allowing minors to access harmful content without consequence. The digital Wild West must face regulation just as 19th-century robber barons did, because platforms like X deliberately expose users to disturbing material to maximize engagement. The time to protect children from these reckless corporations is now.

Guardian La Vanguardia

Right narrative

Multiple governments simultaneously pushing identical social media bans reveal coordinated control rather than child protection. Requiring platforms to verify every user's age is but a veil for the forced identification of anyone posting opinions online. This sets the stage for jailing dissenters under the guise of protecting minors.

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