Greece Greenlights Social Media Block for Minors

Greece has approved a legislative measure to restrict social media access for minors. The parliament passed a bill today that bans children under 15 from using major digital platforms.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose government holds a parliamentary majority, advanced the proposal first mentioned earlier this year. He described the legislation as "difficult but necessary." The new rules will come into effect on January 1, 2027.

The measure targets specific services including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. Providers of these networks are required to implement age-verification methods that are proportionate and reliable to ensure compliance. Digital governance and AI minister Dimitris Papastergiou defended the immediate action. "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."

Enforcement mechanisms are already in place. Platforms that fail to adhere to the act will face penalties under the European Union's Digital Services Act. To help parents manage these restrictions, the state provides apps called Kids Wallet or Gov.gr. These applications link to a child's device to block access. Papastergiou explained that these tools are built to protect privacy. They utilize "age tokens" to verify a user's age while minimizing the collection of personal data.

While minority parties opposed the bill, the ruling party pushed it through with its own votes. The legislative push follows a 2024 ban on mobile phones in schools. Public opinion polls indicate that a majority of Greek adults support the new social media restrictions for children.

The government intends to use this policy to influence broader regional standards. Mitsotakis previously said his government's "goal is to push the European Union in this direction as well." The European Commission has introduced the EU Kids Act with a similar aim, though that law only prohibits access for children under 13. Australia previously enacted a full social media ban for minors, but its age verification has proved difficult to implement.

Officials have not yet announced the specific dates for enforcement operations or detailed how the verification process will be monitored for foreign visitors to Greece.