Spain will press ahead with plans to restrict young people’s access to social media and tighten regulation of online platforms, despite criticism from major technology figures, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday.
Speaking at an event in Madrid, Sanchez accused what he described as “tech oligarchs of the algorithm” of attempting to influence democratic decisions by spreading misinformation through their platforms. “Democracy will obviously not be swayed by the tech oligarchs of the algorithm,” Sanchez said, adding that powerful technology executives were using their reach to mislead the public.
His comments came a day after Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, joined Elon Musk in criticising Spain’s proposals to ban access to social media for users under 16 and to hold platform executives legally accountable for hate speech. Durov warned in a message sent to Spanish Telegram users that the legislation could force platforms to collect data on all users and enable governments to control what content people see. Musk, meanwhile, described Sanchez on X as “a tyrant and a traitor to the people of Spain.”
The Spanish government responded by saying Durov’s mass message to Telegram users illustrated why regulation of social media and messaging apps was urgently needed to protect citizens from misleading or manipulative information.
Spain is aligning itself with a broader European push to rein in the influence of major technology platforms. Countries including Britain, Greece and France are weighing tougher restrictions on social media use by minors, following Australia’s decision last year to prohibit access for children under 16.
Sanchez has been an outspoken critic of large technology companies since early last year, when he floated proposals to end anonymity on social media and link user accounts to a common European Union digital identity wallet. His government argues such measures are necessary to protect children, safeguard democratic debate and curb the spread of harmful or deceptive content online.