Spain Developing Tool To Block Access To Social Media For Teenagers Under 16

MOSCOW, Dec 12 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- The Spanish government is planning to implement a special tool that will restrict access to social media for users under 16, the Spanish Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service said.

"The government is working on a bill that would raise the 'digital age of majority' for accessing social media without parental consent from 14 to 16," the ministry said in a statement on Thursday, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.

The statement added that following a meeting of the international advisory council on artificial intelligence, Spanish Minister for Digital Transformation Oscar Lopez announced that Spain has become one of the first EU countries to begin testing age verification technology.

The country’s pilot project is being tested by the European Commission and three other countries. Following the approval of the law and the tool, the system is expected to be operational in 2026.

On December 9, Australia banned the use of social media platforms Instagram, Facebook (both banned in Russia for extremism), Threads, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Kick, and Twitch for individuals under 16.

Social media companies that fail to remove accounts belonging to users under 16 face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$32.9 million).

--BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI