Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday that tech companies will not influence the government’s decision to restrict social media access for young people, accusing “tech oligarchs” of spreading false information about Spain.
The comments came after Telegram founder Pavel Durov joined Elon Musk in criticizing Sanchez’s plan to ban social media for under-16s and hold executives accountable for hate speech on their platforms.
Spain is following in the footsteps of countries like Britain, Greece, and France, considering stricter rules on social media. In December, Australia became the first country to prohibit social media access for children under 16.
“Democracy will obviously not be swayed by the tech oligarchs of the algorithm,” Sanchez said at an event in Madrid. “Just yesterday, they reached millions of people via their platforms to spread lies.”
Durov warned in a Telegram post that the proposed Spanish legislation would require social media platforms to collect data on all users and allow governments to control what people see. Musk also posted on X calling Sanchez “a tyrant and a traitor to the people of Spain.”
The Spanish government said Durov’s message highlighted the urgent need to regulate social media and messaging apps to protect citizens from misinformation.
Sanchez, one of the few remaining leftist leaders in Europe, has been critical of tech platforms since early last year, proposing measures to end anonymity on social media and link users’ data to a common EU identity wallet.