Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez unveiled a new tool Wednesday designed to measure and publicly track hate speech on digital platforms, escalating a confrontation with tech billionaires he accuses of enabling the spread of harmful content. The initiative, dubbed Hodio – meaning “Footprint of Hate and Polarisation” – will be implemented through the Spanish Observatory of Racism and Xenophobia and based on established academic criteria.
Sánchez announced the project during the inaugural Forum against Hate in Madrid, stating that Hodio “will allow us to systematically measure the presence, evolution and reach of hate speech on digital platforms.” The software will analyze major social networks used in Spain, producing semi-annual reports ranking platforms based on their handling of hateful content. “We will develop the results public so that everyone knows who is curbing hate, who is turning a blind eye and who is profiting from hate,” Sánchez said.
The move comes amid a growing wave of criticism from the Spanish government towards the owners of major tech companies. Recently, Telegram founder Pavel Durov warned users in Spain about “dangerous new regulations [that] threaten your internet freedoms,” a reference to impending legislation aimed at greater online control. Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), has been particularly vocal, labeling Sánchez a “tyrant,” a “traitor to the people of Spain,” and a “true fascist totalitarian.”
Sánchez directly addressed such criticisms, questioning the role of technology in disseminating misinformation and eroding privacy. “Do we want a technology that normalises and amplifies deception? That transforms privacy into a commodity? A society where a tech oligarch can interfere in the mobile phones of millions of citizens to tell them lies?” he asked.
The Spanish government has as well taken steps to strengthen regulations surrounding social media access. Last month, Sánchez announced plans to ban social media for individuals under the age of 16. Simultaneously, the government requested a public prosecutor’s investigation into X, Meta, and TikTok regarding the creation of child pornography images using artificial intelligence, mirroring actions taken by other countries.
According to Sánchez, reported hate crimes in Spain have increased by 41 percent over the last decade, fueling the urgency behind the new initiative. “From now on, social media platforms will have to be held publicly accountable for every hateful piece of content they allow,” he stated. The Observatory’s website details that Hodio will track developments on each platform, providing a public record of their efforts to combat hate speech.
Pedro Sánchez has served as Prime Minister of Spain since 2018 and is also the Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). His government has faced recent challenges, including a historic defeat in the regional election in Extremadura in December 2025, where the far-right Vox party gained significant ground. The PSOE has also been grappling with corruption allegations, including a graft investigation targeting a former top aide, Jose Luis Abalos, and scrutiny surrounding the financial dealings of Sánchez’s wife, Begona Gomez, and brother, David.
