Greece to Bar Children Under 15 From Social Media in 2027
The new law mandates state-backed apps for age verification and fines non-compliant platforms under EU rules.
By Ahmed Peterson ·
Greece will prohibit children under 15 from using major social media platforms starting January 1, 2027. The country becomes one of the first in the European Union to enact such a legal restriction. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the move earlier this year, and parliament has now approved the final legislation.
The ban applies to services including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. These companies must implement age-verification methods that are both reliable and proportionate. If a platform fails to meet these requirements, it faces fines under the EU's Digital Services Act.
Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and AI, argued that waiting for a unified European law was not an option. "It would have been very easy to do absolutely nothing today and wait for the perfect European law," Papastergiou said. "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."
Parents of children under 15 must download state-backed applications called Kids Wallet or Gov.gr. These apps pair with a child's device to block access to the restricted services. Papastergiou stated that the tools are designed to protect privacy by using "age tokens." These tokens confirm a user's age while disclosing the minimum necessary personal information.
Mitsotakis described the bill as "difficult but necessary." His government passed the measure using its majority in parliament, as minority parties opposed the legislation. The policy follows a 2024 decision to ban mobile phones in Greek schools. Recent opinion polls show that a large majority of Greek adults support the new social media restrictions.
The European Commission recently proposed the EU Kids Act, which aims for similar goals but only mandates a ban for children under 13. Mitsotakis said his government intends to push the EU toward stricter rules. Australia remains the first country to enact a full social media ban for children, though it has faced challenges implementing age verification. Greece will now test its app-based approach.
Source: Engadget
