Pedro Sánchez called on companies to answer for the harm their platforms can cause children at an international meeting on artificial intelligence in New York. Without safeguards, he warned, the internet can become a lawless jungle instead of a place where companies compete fairly. Spain is advancing a law that would set 16 as the minimum age for access to social networks. It has also developed what the government presents as the first effective age-verification system based on the Cartera Europea de Identidad Digital.
Sánchez opened the High-Level Dialogue on protecting children's rights from Artificial Intelligence with French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Kenyan President William Ruto. The leaders of France, Spain, Kenya and Australia convened the meeting on the margins of the 81st session of the General Assembly to promote practical cooperation on children's rights and safety in the digital environment. Spain, France, Australia, Kenya and other international partners support the initiative. UNESCO says France, Spain and Kenya launched the coalition, which has the support of 15 UN member states, UNESCO and other UN agencies.
Sánchez acknowledged AI's promise in areas such as treating disease, while warning that the technology carries enormous risks. Power and wealth, he argued, are becoming concentrated among what he called techno-oligarchs, who can influence values and preferences through the systems they develop.
His criticism focused on the harm that poorly controlled digital services can worsen. He named cyberbullying and hate, along with sexual offences and loneliness. He said people involved in developing the most advanced AI models have also warned about these dangers. Children are the clearest test of whether companies accept responsibility for those risks.
Sánchez said firms should be held accountable for the effects of their activities on minors. In his view, companies cannot keep the profits while leaving society to pay for digital harm. That puts child protection at the centre of the debate over who should bear the cost when online systems create or worsen damage.
Political accountability also featured in an earlier report on government scrutiny. The New York dialogue applies the same basic question to technology and children. Sánchez tied the international discussion to measures Spain is already promoting at home.
The law remains an initiative, not an established measure. Sánchez's position is that children's access to digital platforms cannot be left solely to private companies or voluntary safeguards. The New York dialogue gives Spain's domestic proposals an international setting and puts child protection at the centre of the debate over effective AI governance.
In a separate official presentation of Spain's IA360 plan, the Moncloa government described a 12-month roadmap to build safety and trust while protecting vulnerable people, especially minors. The plan is presented as a way to support responsible AI adoption. Discussions around it include stronger age checks and parental controls, alongside changes to school and vocational education so students can work with AI.
The agenda also includes rules for specific types of content. Reports on Sánchez's position in New York said he supports banning non-consensual sexual deepfakes and AI-generated child sexual-abuse material in European AI legislation. These proposals target synthetic content that can directly harm children and other victims.
The Spanish government's position combines international coordination with domestic regulation. UN records describe the dialogue as part of wider cooperation on children's rights in the digital age. There is not yet a single global rulebook, but the coalition provides a base for further talks on age verification and content moderation, as well as the responsibilities of platforms and AI developers.
