Overview
- Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez unveiled the plan in Dubai, saying platforms must deploy effective age verification that goes beyond self-declared checkboxes.
- The package would make executives criminally liable for failing to remove illegal or hateful content and create a new offense for algorithmic amplification of illegal material.
- The measures will be folded into an existing draft bill and taken to the Council of Ministers next week, with passage uncertain as the governing coalition lacks a clear majority.
- Sánchez proposed a “hate and polarization footprint” to track divisive content and said Spain has joined a small European coalition to coordinate tougher cross-border enforcement alongside EU Digital Services Act oversight.
- Spain’s move follows Australia’s December ban that triggered mass removals and legal challenges, while tech reactions continue, including sharp criticism of Sánchez from X owner Elon Musk.