Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Spain announced it will ban social media for children younger than 16 and introduce measures that hold platforms and people accountable.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez spoke at the World Government Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and denounced social media companies' misconduct. He said access for young teens will end next week as part of five new government measures against the platforms.
"Social media has become a failed state, a place where laws are ignored, and crime is endured, where disinformation is worth more than truth, and half of users suffer hate speech," Sanchez said. "A failed state in which algorithms distort the public conversation and our data and image are defied and sold."
He said, "platforms will be required to implement effective age-verification systems -- not just checkboxes, but real barriers that work."
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