Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced new steps to regulate social media platforms and strengthen protections for minors, saying digital spaces have enabled criminal activity, disinformation, and harmful content.
In a video message shared on the US social media company X late Friday, Sanchez said recent developments marked an unprecedented moment for Spain’s democracy.
"This week, something unprecedented in the history of our democracies has happened: a tech oligarch has infiltrated the phones of millions of Spanish citizens to tell them what to think," he said. "This is a serious example of the abuses of interference that we are trying to combat."
He described social media as having "become a kind of Wild West in a failed state," adding that applications like this one provide refuge for thousands of channels dedicated to criminal activities involving pornography and violence.
Sanchez also pointed to the misuse of artificial intelligence.
"We have seen how artificial intelligence is being used by these applications to create fake nudes, even of minors, how they spy on us, how they steal our data, and how the platforms rake in profits by amplifying hate and disinformation," he said.
According to the prime minister, the government has launched five measures "to protect minors and end impunity in digital environments." These include working with the Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate crimes on social media, prosecuting the manipulation of algorithms that use personal data without consent, and pursuing criminal charges against companies that refuse to remove illegal content.
Additional steps include creating "the first database of hate and polarisation" and limiting access to platforms for those under 16.
"We know that this tech elite has more money and even more power than many countries, but our determination is stronger than their pockets," Sanchez said and concluded: "So we are going to move forward despite their threats."
