Spain has become the latest European country to consider a social media ban for children.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced this in a speech on Tuesday in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

He said the government plans to require that social media platforms introduce age verification systems and ban children under the age of 16 from using the sites.

Warning that children are exposed to a space of abuse and violence, he said: "We will no longer accept this. We will protect them from the digital Wild West."

In response to the growing concern about the negative impact on children, the French parliament is deliberating a bill that would ban social media for children under 15.

Denmark's government announced in November that it plans to prohibit minors under the age of 15 from accessing social media.

Australia enacted a law that bans social media for children under 16 years old in December, becoming the first country to introduce a blanket ban based on age.

But challenges remain such as how platforms can verify users' ages.

nhk