Greece Approves Landmark Social Media Restriction for Children Under 15

The legislation takes effect on January 1, 2027, positioning Greece among the first EU nations to implement such measures.

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Greece’s parliament has approved legislation prohibiting children under 15 from accessing major social media platforms, fulfilling a pledge made earlier this year by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The measure, which the premier described as “difficult but necessary,” marks one of the first such restrictions enacted within the European Union and is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.

The law applies to platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X, requiring them to implement “proportionate and reliable” age-verification systems. Non-compliance will trigger penalties under the EU’s Digital Services Act.

“It would have been very easy to do absolutely nothing today and wait for the perfect European law,” Digital Governance and AI Minister Dimitris Papastergiou stated during the debate. “But the challenge is here. Children are sinking into the internet every day, and I believe a responsible government must do what it is obliged to do.”

To enforce the restriction, parents will be required to install state-backed applications—Kids Wallet or Gov.gr—on their children’s devices. According to Papastergiou, these tools utilize “age tokens” to verify a user’s age while minimizing personal data collection, thereby preserving privacy.

The bill passed despite opposition from minority parties, with Mitsotakis leveraging his parliamentary majority to secure its adoption. The move follows a 2024 ban on mobile phones in schools, and opinion polls indicate broad support among the Greek adult population.

Mitsotakis has expressed hope that the legislation will spur broader EU action. The European Commission recently proposed the EU Kids Act, though that framework sets the age threshold at 13. Australia previously enacted a comprehensive ban for minors, though practical implementation of age verification has proven difficult.

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