Spain has become the latest European country to announce plans to ban social media for children under the age of 16.

'We will protect them from the digital Wild West,' Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday.

The proposed ban, which is still subject to parliamentary approval, is part of a broader strategy that includes making company executives accountable for illegal or harmful content on their platforms.

Australia became the world's first country to implement such a ban last year, and Spain will be observing its effectiveness.

Other countries in Europe, including France, Denmark, and Austria, are contemplating their own age restrictions for social media use.

The UK government has also launched a consultation on whether to enforce a similar ban for individuals under 16.

Opponents, including social media companies, argue that such bans would be ineffective and could lead to the isolation of vulnerable teens. Reddit is currently challenging Australia's ban in the High Court.

Sánchez emphasized the risks present in today's digital spaces, describing them as repositories of 'addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation, and violence.' He stated, 'We will no longer accept that. We will protect them.'

The proposed legislation would require platforms to have effective age verification systems and criminalize any manipulation of algorithms that amplifies illegal content.

'Hiding behind code and claiming that technology is neutral is no longer acceptable,' said Sánchez as he outlined plans to develop systems to track how digital platforms contribute to societal division and hate.

Furthermore, the government aims to investigate crimes linked to AI tools such as Grok owned by X (formerly Twitter), as well as offenses associated with TikTok and Instagram.

While Sánchez hopes to expedite the passage of these laws, gaining support in a coalition government lacking a parliamentary majority may prove challenging. The conservative People's Party supports the ban, having proposed similar measures last year, while the far-right Vox party has spoken against it.

In response to the announcement, X owner Elon Musk criticized Sánchez, labelling him a 'tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain.'

As France pushes for a ban on under-15s by the start of the next school year, the debate over social media restrictions intensifies across Europe.