Athens Moves First: Greece Legalizes Under-15 Social Media Ban

Greece has officially enacted a legislative ban on social media for children under the age of 15, marking a significant shift in digital policy across the continent. The law, which passed through parliament earlier this month, is set to take full effect on January 1, 2027. This move places the nation among the first in the European Union to impose such a restriction, establishing a national framework before a unified EU-wide standard is fully operationalized.

The legislation targets major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. These services are now mandated to implement age-verification methods that are both proportionate and reliable. The government argues that waiting for a perfect European directive was no longer an option. Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and AI, stated that the challenge is immediate, noting that children are sinking into the internet every day and that a responsible government must act. He described the bill as difficult but necessary for the country’s digital future.

Compliance with the new rules is strictly enforced through the existing EU Digital Services Act, which provides the mechanism for fining non-compliant platforms. To assist families in managing access, parents will be required to download state-backed applications known as Kids Wallet or Gov.gr. These tools pair with a child’s device to block unauthorized access, creating a digital barrier between young users and their favorite apps.

Privacy remains a central pillar of the implementation strategy. The state apps utilize technology referred to as age tokens. According to Papastergiou, these tokens allow systems to confirm a user’s age while minimizing the amount of personal data disclosed. This approach is designed to protect user privacy while ensuring that the age verification process does not create excessive data footprints for minors.

The path to passage was not without political friction. Minority parties in the Greek parliament opposed the measure, prompting Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to rely on his majority government to push the bill through. Despite the political divide, opinion polls indicate widespread support among the adult population. This follows a 2024 decision to ban mobile phones in schools, suggesting a broader governmental trend toward regulating young people's digital engagement.

Mitsotakis has expressed hope that Greece’s action will encourage the broader European Union to adopt similar measures. The European Commission has recently introduced the EU Kids Act, though that proposal currently stipulates an outright ban only for children under 13. As Greece prepares for the 2027 rollout, it joins Australia as a pioneer in this area, though Athens aims to refine the implementation challenges that have complicated the Australian model.