Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned on Wednesday that tech billionaires are using social media platforms to “overthrow democracy,” calling for urgent action from European Union leaders.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Sánchez said, “The technology that was intended to free us has become the tool of our own oppression.” He criticized social media for fostering division and manipulation, claiming they serve the political agendas of wealthy elites by prioritizing “likes over votes.”
Sánchez pointed to the lack of content moderation, fact-checking, and restrictions on the length of posts and videos as factors enabling disinformation to spread rapidly. He accused tech leaders of creating platforms designed to divide and manipulate society for their own gain.
“The social media that was supposed to bring unity, clarity, and democracy have instead given us division, vice, and a reactionary agenda,” Sánchez said.
While acknowledging that social media once supported global social justice movements, such as #MeToo and Fridays for Future, Sánchez lamented its shift toward concentrating “power and wealth in the hands of just a few … at the cost of our democracies.”
Sánchez announced plans to push for stricter social media regulations during an upcoming EU summit in Brussels. He proposed measures such as requiring users to digitally verify their identities to combat fake profiles and bots, as well as leveraging the EU’s Digital Services Act to hold tech executives accountable for algorithms that harm society.
“The owner of a small restaurant is held accountable if their food poisons customers,” Sánchez said. “Social media tycoons should be held accountable if their algorithms poison our societies.”
While Sánchez did not name specific social media platform owners in his speech, he referenced a 2009 essay by venture capitalist Peter Thiel, in which Thiel wrote, “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.”
Earlier this month, Sánchez criticized X owner Elon Musk, accusing him of supporting the international far right and inciting hatred. At another Davos event on January 21, Sánchez called on Europe to unite against the “tech caste.”
