Spain Pushes Ahead with Social Media, AI Rules Despite Big Tech Pressure - New Straits Times Online
Madrid will keep pressing for teen social media limits and tougher AI controls as officials cite cyberbullying, deepfakes and platform lobbying.
- On Wednesday, Digital Transformation Minister Oscar Lopez announced that Spain will press ahead with rules targeting social media platforms and high-risk AI systems, despite intense lobbying from American technology companies.
- The regulatory programme sits within a wider European arc; on Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Commission is targeting harmful design practices under the upcoming Digital Fairness Act.
- Lopez stated that "the profit of four tech companies cannot come at the expense of the rights of millions," citing reports that 11 American technology firms spent roughly $20 million on federal lobbying during the first three months of 2026.
- Legislation proposed by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez includes a ban on social media for users under 16 and measures to criminalize algorithmic manipulation, though critics contend parts of the package are performative rather than enforceable.
- Spain argues that common rules across a bloc of more than 400 million citizens are more effective than country-by-country measures, with Lopez warning that a laissez-faire approach risks defending "the law of the jungle.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Spain holds the line on social media and AI rules as US tech lobbying intensifies
Digital transformation minister Óscar López says ‘the profit of four tech companies cannot come at the expense of the rights of millions’ as Madrid’s regulatory package moves through parliament. Spain’s digital transformation minister, Óscar López, said on Wednesday that Madrid would press ahead with a slate of rules targeting social media platforms and high-risk artificial […] This story continues at The Next Web
Spain pushes ahead with social media, AI rules despite Big Tech pressure - New Straits Times Online
MADRID: 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 Agueda told Reuters.
The Straits Times
Spain pushes ahead with social media, AI rules despite Big Tech lobbying pressure
MADRID, May 13 - 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. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Spain Escalates Crackdown On Big Tech As Europe Hardens Stance On AI And Social Media Harms
Spain is moving aggressively to tighten regulation of artificial intelligence and social media platforms, positioning itself at the forefront of Europe’s widening confrontation with major technology companies over online safety, algorithmic transparency, and the societal impact of digital platforms. Speaking to Reuters, Spain’s digital transformation minister, Oscar Lopez, said Madrid would press ahead with stricter […] The post Spain Escalates …
Spanish Minister for Digital Transformation Oscar Lopez bluntly told Reuters: Spain will move forward with the new rules on social media and artificial intelligence, despite lobbying from major tech companies. "The profits of four companies cannot come before the rights of millions of people," he explicitly referred to those trying to curb the crackdown on social media for minors. In February, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also announced the pack…
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