Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said that his government will not be pressured by powerful technology figures as it moves forward with plans to restrict young people’s access to social media.
Speaking in Madrid on Thursday, Sánchez accused what he called “tech oligarchs” of spreading false information about Spain after prominent technology executives publicly criticised the proposal to ban social media use for those under the age of 16.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov joined Elon Musk this week in opposing the plan. Durov warned that the proposed legislation would require platforms to collect data on all users and could allow governments to influence what people see online. Musk, writing on his social media platform X, described Sánchez as “a tyrant and a traitor to the people of Spain”.
Sánchez dismissed the criticism, saying that democratic decision-making would not be dictated by technology billionaires or algorithms. He accused platform owners of using their reach to spread misleading narratives to millions of users.
Spain is considering tougher rules on social media alongside countries such as Britain, Greece and France. The debate intensified after Australia became the first country to block access to social media platforms for children under 16 in December.
The Spanish government said Durov’s decision to send a message directly to Telegram users in Spain only reinforced the need for stronger regulation of social media and messaging apps to protect the public from misinformation.
Sánchez, one of the remaining left-leaning leaders in Europe, has been increasingly outspoken about technology companies since early last year. He has previously proposed ending anonymity on social media and linking user identities to a shared European digital identity system.
