Greece bans under-15s from social networks

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has officially moved forward with a significant digital policy shift. His government passed legislation that prohibits children under the age of 15 from using major social media platforms. This move marks a decisive step for the country in regulating how young users interact with online spaces. The new rules are set to become active on January 1, 2027, giving platforms and families time to adjust to the new requirements.

The decision follows an announcement made by Mitsotakis earlier this year. At the time, he described the measure as difficult but necessary for the country’s digital future. This legislation is currently one of the first of its kind to be implemented within the European Union. It specifically targets popular services such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. The law requires these platforms to use reliable and proportionate methods to verify the age of their users.

Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and AI, emphasized the urgency of the situation. He noted that it would have been simpler for the government to wait for a broader European solution. However, he argued that the challenge is present now, with children increasingly immersed in the internet daily. Papastergiou stated that a responsible government must act when it is clearly obliged to do so, rather than waiting for perfect conditions.

To ensure compliance, the law relies on the EU’s Digital Services Act for enforcement. Platforms that fail to meet the new standards will face financial penalties. Additionally, parents are required to download specific state-backed applications, such as Kids Wallet or Gov.gr, onto their children’s devices. These apps are designed to block access to social media unless the age verification process is successfully completed.

The technical approach used by these apps aims to balance security with privacy. Papastergiou explained that the system utilizes age tokens to confirm a user’s age. This method is intended to minimize the amount of personal data disclosed, ensuring that the process protects children’s privacy while enforcing the age limit. The goal is to create a secure framework that does not burden families with excessive data sharing.

The path to passing the bill was not without political friction. Minority parties in Greece opposed the legislation, but the prime minister’s majority government was able to push it through. This action builds on previous domestic efforts to manage technology use among youth. For instance, the nation already banned mobile phones in schools back in 2024. Public opinion appears to support the new measure, with polls indicating that the adult population widely backs the ban for children.

Mitsotakis has previously expressed a desire to influence broader European policy. He stated that his government’s goal is to encourage the rest of the EU to follow a similar direction. The European Commission has recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which aligns with this intent. However, that specific legislation stipulates an outright ban only for children under the age of 13, making Greece’s threshold of 15 more restrictive.

Greece is not the first nation to attempt such a ban, but it joins a growing list of countries addressing the issue. Australia was the pioneer in enacting a full social media ban for kids. However, the implementation there has faced challenges, particularly regarding the difficulty of verifying ages accurately. Greece’s new law now adds another data point to the global conversation on how to effectively protect young users in the digital age.