iWorld
Spain to ban social media for under-16s to protect young users
MADRID: The Spanish government is preparing to hit the block button on social media for anyone under the age of 16. In a move that has sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley, prime minister Pedro Sánchez announced today that Spain is finished with the “Digital wild west” and is ready to enforce some strict digital discipline.
The proposed law aims to transform the way teenagers interact with the internet. Rather than simply ticking a box to pinky-promise they are old enough, young users will face “real barriers” to entry. This means tech giants will be forced to implement robust age-verification systems, likely involving digital IDs or facial scanning, to ensure that 13-year-olds aren’t scrolling through TikTok until the early hours.
While the ban itself is a headline-grabber, the real sting is in the tail for tech moguls. Under this new legislation, social media executives could face personal criminal liability. If a platform persistently fails to scrub illegal content or uses “addictive” algorithms to hook kids, the bosses themselves could be looking at more than just a PR crisis; they could be looking at a prison cell.
Sánchez argued that the current system is a “failed state” where minors are exposed to everything from body-image issues to non-consensual deepfakes. By making tech titans legally responsible for the “digital toxicity” they host, Spain hopes to force a total reboot of how these apps are designed.
Spain isn’t acting as a lone wolf. They are leading a group of six European nations, nicknamed the “Coalition of the digitally willing,” to create a unified front against big tech. With France and Denmark already eyeing similar age caps, the era of the “unrestricted scroll” for European youngsters appears to be reaching its final chapter.
The legislation is expected to move through the Spanish Parliament as early as next week. While teenagers across the country may be mourning their disappearing follower counts, the government is betting that a little less screen time will lead to a lot more peace of mind.
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
