The Spanish government is facing strong criticism from technology leaders over a planned ban on social networking sites for children under 16. The dispute shows the growing tensions between European states and global internet platforms.
The Spanish government has come into open conflict with representatives of the technology sector after announcing a plan to ban the use of social networking sites by children under the age of 16. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defends the measure as a necessary step to protect minors from harmful content and digital addiction. Reuters, for example, reported on the pending legislation.
A significant controversy was sparked by the founder of the communication app Telegram Pavel Durov, who sent a mass message to all users of the platform in Spain. As reported by the British newspaper The Guardian, Durov accused the government of enforcing dangerous regulations that he believes could lead to mass surveillance of users and a weakening of anonymity on the internet. He said the introduction of mandatory age verification could set a precedent for checking the identity of all users.
Durov also warned that the planned introduction of criminal liability for tech company executives could lead to excessive deletion of content. Platforms could also try to avoid legal risks by removing legitimate opinions, journalistic work or political debate, he said.
The Spanish government responded with harsh criticism. According to Reuters, government officials described Durov's speech as spreading false information and an attempt to undermine trust in state institutions. They also pointed out that it is the ability of technology companies to reach millions of users with a single message that proves the need to regulate them.
The dispute also involved Elon Musk, owner of the social network X. According to Euronews television, he described the Spanish Prime Minister as an authoritarian leader because of the measures he is preparing. Sánchez responded ironically, saying that the tech oligarchs may criticise the government, but the cabinet will continue to protect citizens.
In addition to banning access by minors, the proposed legislation would introduce mandatory age verification of users and stricter rules for removing hateful or illegal content. According to official Spanish government information published on La Moncloa, the measure is intended to help combat cyberbullying, child sexual abuse and the spread of extremist material. Prime Minister Sánchez has described the current state of social networks as a digital Wild West.
According to Reuters, other countries are considering similar measures. Australia has already become the first country to approve a ban on social networking sites for children under 16. At the same time, European governments are increasingly addressing their dependence on US technology services. France, for example, is planning to transfer part of its civil service to a domestic video conferencing platform, while Denmark is testing the use of open-source software.
Analysts warn that the dispute between European states and technology firms is likely to escalate further. Indeed, the regulation of the digital space is becoming one of the key political and security issues of our time.
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