Elon Musk Criticizes Spain's Prime Minister Over Social Media Ban Proposal

Elon Musk Criticizes Spanish Prime Minister Over Social Media Ban Proposal

Elon Musk has sharply criticizedPedro Sánchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, for proposing a social media ban targeting minors. The measure aims to curb harmful online content and strengthen digital protections for children under 16.

Sánchez emphasized the need for urgent action to protect young users from what he described as the 'digital wild west.' He also criticized Musk for using his platform, X, to amplify disinformation following Spain’s regularization of undocumented workers and asylum seekers. Sánchez referred to himself as part of a coalition of six European nations seeking cross-border regulation of technology platforms.

Public opinion in Spain strongly supports restrictions on social media use by minors. An Ipsos poll revealed that 82% of Spaniards believe children under 14 should be banned from social media, up from 73% in the previous year. Meanwhile, tech companies like Google, TikTok, Snapchat, and Meta are yet to respond to these proposals.

The debate has been intensified by recent allegations involving AI-generated content, including non-consensual sexual images produced by Musk's Grok chatbot. Sánchez has announced that prosecutors will investigate potential legal infractions by Grok, TikTok, and Instagram.