Greece Mandates Social Media Age Limits for Under-15s Starting 2027

Greece has officially enacted a legislative ban on social media access for children under the age of 15, with the measure set to take effect on January 1, 2027. The law was approved by parliament following an earlier announcement by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who described the initiative as difficult but necessary for the nation's digital future. This legislation stands as one of the first of its kind within the European Union to impose such a specific age threshold on major online platforms.

The new regulations apply to prominent services including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. These companies are now required to implement age-verification methods that are both proportionate and reliable to ensure compliance. The move represents a significant step in national digital governance, aiming to protect younger users from the complexities of the internet before they reach a certain maturity level.

Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and artificial intelligence, emphasized the urgency of the government's action. He noted that inaction was an easy path to avoid, but children are increasingly immersed in the digital world daily. Papastergiou argued that a responsible government must act when the challenge is present, rather than waiting for a perfect European law to emerge before taking domestic steps.

Compliance with the act will be enforced through fines under the EU's Digital Services Act. Parents will be required to use state-backed applications named Kids Wallet or Gov.gr, which pair with their child's device to block access. According to Papastergiou, these tools are designed to protect privacy by utilizing age tokens. This technology allows for age confirmation while minimizing the amount of personal data disclosed, addressing common concerns regarding digital privacy.

The bill faced opposition from minority parties in parliament, leading Prime Minister Mitsotakis to rely on his majority to pass the legislation. The move follows a 2024 policy that barred mobile phones in schools. Recent opinion polls indicate that the adult population in Greece widely supports the new social media restrictions, suggesting broad public approval for the government's protective stance.

Mitsotakis has stated that his government aims to encourage the rest of the European Union to follow a similar path. The European Commission recently introduced the EU Kids Act, though that proposed law sets the ban threshold at age 13 rather than 15. Australia previously became the first nation to enact a full social media ban for children, but it has faced significant challenges in effectively implementing age verification, a hurdle Greece now seeks to navigate with its own regulatory framework.