He Government of Spain is going to approve a package of measures and laws to tighten rules against networks and platforms that amplify the spread of false content online. Besides, will prohibit access to social networks for those under 16 years of ages, in line with the decisions taken in countries such as Australia or France. The news was known during the intervention of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, at the World Governments Summit event, which is being held in Dubai and which is paying special attention to digitalization.
Among the measures that will be approved next week in this area is a law that will lead to the CEOs of online platforms being criminally liable in the event that illicit content is disseminated through said platforms. In addition, as part of the prohibition of use by minors under 16 years of age, platforms will be required to implement age verification mechanisms to control access.
With this, the Government wants Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg, among others, to face criminal proceedings if their social platforms do not remove the illegal content they spread at a given time. Sánchez has assured that they are also going to convert the manipulation of algorithms into a criminal offense, in order to combat disinformation.
The President of the Government has also indicated that a tracking, quantification and traceability system will be created, with which to launch what he has called “Footprint of hate and polarization”, in order to create a list that classifies social networks and platforms from best to worst depending on the hate and polarization that exists in them. Not only that, but it has also asked the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the crimes committed by Grok, Meta or TikTok in this regard, in order to avoid any foreign interference in the country through the networks.
Among the examples given by Sánchez to specify the measures to be taken to avoid misinformation is Elon Musk’s false information, released through
Pedro Sánchez has also announced that Spain has joined five other European countrieswho have formed the so-called “Coalition of the Digitally Disposed” to advance in a coordinated manner in the application of stricter regulationrapid and effective social platforms, and which may entail, among other measures, the prohibition of access for minors under 16 years of age to the networks in the member countries of the group, to later extend to the entire EU.
