Digital ID has always been about ending online anonymity while giving governments & corporations the power to manipulate, coerce, or incentivize human behavior: perspective Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez calls for the end of anonymity across all social media platforms by forcing them to link all user accounts with the European digital identity wallet. “I propose putting an end to anonymity on social media“
Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, WEF Annual Meeting, 2025 Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos today, Prime Minister Sanchez went on a 17-minute tirade against social media and big tech companies for being dangerous to democracies while presenting three solutions: Force social media platforms to link user accounts with the EU digital identity wallet and end anonymity
Force social media platforms to open the black box on their algorithms
Hold social media CEOs personally accountable for non-compliance for laws and norms in their platforms In his special address, the Spanish PM blamed social media companies for “transforming us into a society increasingly divided and easy to manipulate,” while claiming his three proposals would present a solution. “I believe we must push forward the principle of pseudonymity as the functioning element of social media and force all these platforms to link every user account to a European digital identity wallet”
Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, WEF Annual Meeting, 2025 https://x.com/TimHinchliffe/status/1882111461146914844?embedable=true “I propose putting an end to anonymity on social media,” said the Spanish PM. “In our countries, no one can walk the streets with a mask on their face or drive a car without a license plate. No one can send packages without showing an ID or buy a hunting weapon without giving their name, and yet we are allowing people to roam freely on social networks without linking their profiles to a real identity. “This is paving the way for misinformation, hate speech, and cyber harassment because it is facilitating the use of bots, and it is allowing people to act without being held accountable for their actions. “Such an anomaly can’t continue. In a democracy, citizens have the right to privacy — not to anonymity or impunity — because with those two social coexistence would be impossible. “That is why I believe we must push forward the principle of pseudonymity as the functioning element of social media and force all these platforms to link every user account to a European digital identity wallet,” Sanchez added. “One social media user — one real ID”
Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, WEF Annual Meeting, 2025 https://x.com/TimHinchliffe/status/1882118634505715733?embedable=true Beyond calling for the end of anonymity on social media and forcing platforms to adopt the EU digital identity wallet, the Spanish PM called for social media companies to open the black box on their algorithms. “My second proposal is to force open the black box of social media algorithms once and for all,” he said. “Safeguards like content moderation and fact checking are both legal and moral requirements that must be followed by all,” Sanchez added. Sanchez’s final proposal was to hold social media CEOs personally accountable for non-compliance on laws and norms in their platforms. “We are allowing people to roam freely on social networks without linking their profiles to a real identity“
Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, WEF Annual Meeting, 2025 https://x.com/TimHinchliffe/status/1882121324937826809?embedable=true The Spanish prime minister’s remarks back-up what we at The Sociable and many other researchers and outlets have warned for years — that digital ID schemes were about ending online anonymity while giving governments and corporations the power to manipulate, coerce, or incentivize changes in human behavior. Tim Hinchliffe, Editor, The Sociable Digital ID has always been about ending online anonymity while giving governments & corporations the power to manipulate, coerce, or incentivize human behavior: perspective Digital ID has always been about ending online anonymity while giving governments & corporations the power to manipulate, coerce, or incentivize human behavior: perspective Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez calls for the end of anonymity across all social media platforms by forcing them to link all user accounts with the European digital identity wallet. “I propose putting an end to anonymity on social media“ Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, WEF Annual Meeting, 2025 “I propose putting an end to anonymity on social media“ “ I propose putting an end to anonymity on social media “ I propose putting an end to anonymity on social media Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, WEF Annual Meeting, 2025 Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos today, Prime Minister Sanchez went on a 17-minute tirade against social media and big tech companies for being dangerous to democracies while presenting three solutions: Speaking Force social media platforms to link user accounts with the EU digital identity wallet and end anonymity Force social media platforms to open the black box on their algorithms Hold social media CEOs personally accountable for non-compliance for laws and norms in their platforms Force social media platforms to link user accounts with the EU digital identity wallet and end anonymity Force social media platforms to link user accounts with the EU digital identity wallet and end anonymity Force social media platforms to open the black box on their algorithms Force social media platforms to open the black box on their algorithms Hold social media CEOs personally accountable for non-compliance for laws and norms in their platforms Hold social media CEOs personally accountable for non-compliance for laws and norms in their platforms In his special address, the Spanish PM blamed social media companies for “ transforming us into a society increasingly divided and easy to manipulate ,” while claiming his three proposals would present a solution. transforming us into a society increasingly divided and easy to manipulate transforming us into a society increasingly divided and easy to manipulate “I believe we must push forward the principle of pseudonymity as the functioning element of social media and force all these platforms to link every user account to a European digital identity wallet” Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, WEF Annual Meeting, 2025 “I believe we must push forward the principle of pseudonymity as the functioning element of social media and force all these platforms to link every user account to a European digital identity wallet” “I believe we must push forward the principle of pseudonymity as the functioning element of social media and force all these platforms to link every user account to a European digital identity wallet” “I believe we must push forward the principle of pseudonymity as the functioning element of social media and force all these platforms to link every user account to a European digital identity wallet” Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, WEF Annual Meeting, 2025 https://x.com/TimHinchliffe/status/1882111461146914844?embedable=true https://x.com/TimHinchliffe/status/1882111461146914844?embedable=true “ I propose putting an end to anonymity on social media ,” said the Spanish PM. I propose putting an end to anonymity on social media I propose putting an end to anonymity on social media “In our countries, no one can walk the streets with a mask on their face or drive a car without a license plate. No one can send packages without showing an ID or buy a hunting weapon without giving their name, and yet we are allowing people to roam freely on social networks without linking their profiles to a real identity . we are allowing people to roam freely on social networks without linking their profiles to a real identity we are allowing people to roam freely on social networks without linking their profiles to a real identity “This is paving the way for misinformation, hate speech, and cyber harassment because it is facilitating the use of bots, and it is allowing people to act without being held accountable for their actions. “Such an anomaly can’t continue. In a democracy, citizens have the right to privacy — not to anonymity or impunity — because with those two social coexistence would be impossible. “ That is why I believe we must push forward the principle of pseudonymity as the functioning element of social media and force all these platforms to link every user account to a European digital identity wallet ,” Sanchez added. That is why I believe we must push forward the principle of pseudonymity as the functioning element of social media and force all these platforms to link every user account to a European digital identity wallet That is why I believe we must push forward the principle of pseudonymity as the functioning element of social media and force all these platforms to link every user account to a European digital identity wallet “One social media user — one real ID” Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, WEF Annual Meeting, 2025 “One social media user — one real ID” “One social media user — one real ID” “One social media user — one real ID” Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, WEF Annual Meeting, 2025 https://x.com/TimHinchliffe/status/1882118634505715733?embedable=true https://x.com/TimHinchliffe/status/1882118634505715733?embedable=true Beyond calling for the end of anonymity on social media and forcing platforms to adopt the EU digital identity wallet, the Spanish PM called for social media companies to open the black box on their algorithms. “My second proposal is to force open the black box of social media algorithms once and for all,” he said. “Safeguards like content moderation and fact checking are both legal and moral requirements that must be followed by all,” Sanchez added. Sanchez’s final proposal was to hold social media CEOs personally accountable for non-compliance on laws and norms in their platforms. “We are allowing people to roam freely on social networks without linking their profiles to a real identity“ Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, WEF Annual Meeting, 2025 “We are allowing people to roam freely on social networks without linking their profiles to a real identity“ “ We are allowing people to roam freely on social networks without linking their profiles to a real identity “ We are allowing people to roam freely on social networks without linking their profiles to a real identity Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, WEF Annual Meeting, 2025 https://x.com/TimHinchliffe/status/1882121324937826809?embedable=true https://x.com/TimHinchliffe/status/1882121324937826809?embedable=true The Spanish prime minister’s remarks back-up what we at The Sociable and many other researchers and outlets have warned for years — that digital ID schemes were about ending online anonymity while giving governments and corporations the power to manipulate, coerce, or incentivize changes in human behavior. The Sociable The Sociable Tim Hinchliffe, Editor, The Sociable Tim Hinchliffe, Editor, The Sociable Tim Hinchliffe, Editor, The Sociable

Spanish PM Calls for an End to Anonymous Social Media Accounts

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