Social media: a ban to raise awareness

The government of Pedro Sánchez has announced a ban on social media for those under 16. This move, while raising the stakes, follows similar announcements made by France (15 years old) and Portugal (13 years old). Australia has also set the age at 16. On the one hand, this sends a message to technology platforms, forcing them to take responsibility for content. On the other, it aims to impact families, making them aware of the danger their children face, among whom use and addiction continue to rise.

The immediate, and inappropriate, reaction of the magnate Elon Musk, owner of X, accusing the Spanish president of being a "tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain," is telling. He will not have liked the fact that the Spanish legislature wants to hold tech executives criminally liable. Just as tobacco companies have faced restrictive legislative pressure for years due to the evident harmful effects of tobacco on smokers' health, technology companies cannot continue to act with impunity for the serious distortions they are causing in the sociability, mental health, and democratic health of the population, with a particular impact on children and the elderly.

Is banning social media use for those under 16 the solution? How would such a measure be implemented? Clearly, there are doubts about the actual effectiveness of this ban. But this doesn't mean it doesn't address a real concern and serve as a warning. And not just to tech companies or parents, but to the population as a whole. How many adults are also aware of their own social media misuse? What kind of information—or information overload—do these networks spread without any filter or control? What commercial and political bias do these completely opaque algorithms have?

We'll have to see how the measure is implemented legislatively. But the goal of achieving a safer digital environment is undeniable. In fact, instead of opposing it, the platforms should be the first to be interested in legitimizing themselves by embracing the philosophy of security, transparency, and responsibility regarding fundamental rights. However, as we've seen with Musk, we're a long way from a collaborative attitude.

That said, the future regulations, which are still being finalized, could have side effects, such as opening the door to making it mandatory for everyone to identify themselves with an ID card or official document to prove they are an adult when opening a social media account. This won't prevent, however, a persistent internet user from easily finding one of the many digital tools that allow them to simulate connecting to the internet from another country. Thus, as long as proving one's adulthood isn't mandatory worldwide, it will be difficult to prevent the most stubborn young people from finding loopholes to circumvent the ban on accessing social media. In reality, regulatory action should be, at a minimum, at the European level, where steps have already been taken and where clashes with the platforms are commonplace. It is by no means a minor battle.