Spain moves forward with new social media and AI regulations, pushing past lobbying efforts from Big Tech.

Spain will push ahead with new rules ‌to make social networks and AI safer despite intense lobbying from the tech industry, its digital transformation minister Oscar Lopez told Reuters.

“The profit of four tech companies cannot come at the expense of ​the rights of millions,” he said, adding that “powerful voices” were lobbying against proposed ​regulation that would curb high-risk AI systems or force companies to ⁠disclose how their social media algorithms work.

His remarks mirrored those of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who on Tuesday stated that the Commission is aiming to tackle addictive and harmful design practices by social media companies in its forthcoming Digital Fairness Act.

Following similar actions in Australia, France, and Greece, Spain announced in February its plans to ban social media use by teenagers, with a bill already making its way through parliament, and to introduce laws that hold executives personally accountable for hate speech on their platforms.

The move drew sharp criticism from X platform owner Elon Musk, who labeled Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez a tyrant and a totalitarian.

Lopez said Spain wanted a common European approach as rules are easier to enforce across the bloc of more than 400 million citizens than country-by-country, and warned that backers of a laissez-faire approach would one day regret defending “the ​law of the jungle.”
He ​linked the push ⁠to growing concern over cyberbullying, sexual harassment and AI-generated sexual deepfakes targeting children, especially girls, describing the impact on minors as a ​mental health pandemic.
Spain has positioned itself as one of Europe’s ​most vocal ⁠advocates for what Lopez called “trustworthy AI,” a model he said should protect privacy, democracy, minors and public safety rather than prioritise speed or profit.
Asked whether authorities should be able to identify ⁠people ​who use pseudonyms online if they commit crimes, Lopez ​said anonymity should not shield them from liability.