Elon Musk calls Spanish PM a ‘tyrant’ over plan to ban under-16s from social media and curb hateful content

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Staff and agenciesFebruary 4, 2026 at 02:05 AM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

Spain is proposing a ban on social media for users under 16 to protect children from harmful content, prompting strong reactions. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the measures, citing the need to regulate the "digital wild west" and hold tech companies accountable. Elon Musk responded with personal attacks, calling Sánchez a "tyrant" and "fascist" on X. The proposed ban is part of a broader European trend, with Greece considering similar restrictions and other countries like Britain and France exploring stricter social media regulations. The Spanish government aims to protect children's development and mental wellbeing from the negative impacts of excessive screen time and unregulated online content.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

France ×240% Alphabet 50% Google 50% TikTok 50% Snapchat 50% Meta 50% Greece 50% Europe 60% X ×270% Pedro Sánchez ×585% Elon Musk ×490% Spain ×695%

Keywords

social media ban 90% under-16s 80% pedro sánchez 70% hateful content 70% elon musk 70% social media regulation 60% digital wild west 60% disinformation 50% mental wellbeing 40% spain 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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social media ban under-16s pedro sánchez hateful content elon musk social media regulation digital wild west disinformation mental wellbeing spain

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