Implement 5 steps to confront social media problems next week

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, witnessed a keynote speech delivered by the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Spain. Pedro Sanchez, as part of the first day of the World Government Summit 2026, which began today, and will continue for three days under the slogan “Foreseeing the Governments of the Future.”
During his speech, Pedro Sanchez revealed that, starting next week, his country will begin implementing five steps to confront the problems of social networking sites and the negatives they can cause, pointing out that Spain is not satisfied with talking, but is keen on taking action.
This came in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the National Olympic Committee, Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al. Maktoum, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Chairman of the World Government Summit, Mohammed Abdullah Al-Gergawi, and a number of ministers and officials.
He detailed the five steps, amending the law to hold platform administrations criminally responsible for violations that occur on their sites, including not removing illegal or inflammatory content, criminalizing algorithmic manipulation that amplifies illegal or misleading content, launching a system to measure the impact of hatred and polarization to monitor how platforms fuel division, imposing legal, financial, and moral fines for spreading hatred, and prohibiting access to social media for those under 16 without real and effective age verification, to protect children from addiction and exploitation. and digital violence, and work with the Public Prosecution to prosecute violations committed by some platforms and defend Spanish digital sovereignty without complacency.
Sanchez said that these measures aim to return social media “to what was promised to us: a healthy and democratic space.”
He stressed that social media platforms are an issue that lies at the heart of the values ​​of good governance and balanced progress that characterize the World Government Summit, which is digital governance, and it is a problem that no country can confront alone, stressing the importance of ensuring that social media platforms adhere to the rules and laws.
He stated that throughout his period as Prime Minister in Spain, which extended over nearly eight years, he defended one vision for the world: “A world in which peace is a priority, the human being is at the heart of the economy, and progress is not based on the expense of the weakest groups or the expense of our planet. This vision has not changed, but the world has changed for the worse, not only in the physical reality of economies, borders, and institutions, but also in the digital world that we have created.”
The Spanish Prime Minister spoke about the outstanding performance of his country’s economy and the broad investment opportunities it offers, noting that it has achieved growth of 2.8% in 2025, which is nearly double the euro zone average, and that the gross domestic product has exceeded the two trillion dollar mark, creating nearly 600,000 job opportunities over the past year, that is, about half of the new jobs in the European Union.
It is noteworthy that the World Government Summit 2026 will be attended by more than 60 heads of state and government and their deputies, more than 500 ministers, and more than 150 governments. It also brings together more than 80 international and regional organizations and global institutions, and more than 700 CEOs of major international institutions and companies, in the presence of more than 6,250 participants.