“Let the techno-oligarchs bark, Sancho, it’s a sign that we ride.” Thus, evoking ‘Don Quixote’, Pedro Sánchez responded to the letter sent by Pável Dúrov to all Telegram users this Wednesday, following the measures announced by the President of the Government to prohibit access to social networks for minors under 16 years of age. The objective is to protect them from the “law of the jungle” of misinformation, hoaxes and hate that platforms such as Telegram or X have become.
Sánchez has denounced that social networks should not get away with spreading disinformation to millions of people while maintaining enormous control over public debate. In addition, he has pointed out that Telegram is a social network that has potentially facilitated criminal activities related to abuse or drugs and has described the message sent by Dúrov to its users as “propaganda.”
According to the owner of Telegram, the Government of Pedro Sánchez is promoting “dangerous regulations that threaten digital freedoms”, and has urged its users to remain “vigilant”.
The measures have especially angered Elon Musk, who, in his usual incendiary tone, has attacked the president, calling him a “totalitarian fascist” and a “tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain.” In addition, he has dedicated the nickname “Dirty Sanchez”, a term associated with a coprophilic practice, and X users have responded by flooding the platform with memes and “brainrot” content generated with artificial intelligence, including degrading images of Sánchez, and others referencing ‘Dirty Dancing’.
Sánchez has explained that his proposal implies that the owners of certain social networks will face criminal liability if they do not comply with the law. “We are going to modify the legislation in Spain so that the managers of the platforms are legally responsible for the multiple violations that take place in their services,” he stated. “This means that the CEOs of these technology platforms will face criminal liability if they do not remove hateful or illegal content.”
Musk, known in the pop world for being Grimes’ ex-partner – one of the most interesting artists of the last decade – and father of her three children, is also in the spotlight for the appearance of his name in documents related to Epstein’s files. On the other hand, the Spanish Government has harshly criticized X’s artificial intelligence system, Grok, for facilitating the creation of images of sexual content, especially against women.
