GREECE BANS SOCIAL MEDIA ACCESS FOR CHILDREN UNDER 15

Greece’s parliament has passed a law banning children under 15 from using social media from 1 January 2027. The law covers platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X. It requires platform operators to verify users’ ages reliably; users cannot qualify by simply declaring their age. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the measure “difficult but necessary” when he announced it earlier this year. Minority parties opposed the bill, which Mitsotakis’s majority government passed.

Greece’s digital ministry said the law places responsibility for child safety measures on the companies that operate social media platforms. Parents will also need to install the state-backed Kids Wallet or Gov.gr app and pair it with their child’s device to block access. Digital governance and AI minister Dimitris Papastergiou said the apps use age tokens to confirm eligibility while limiting the personal information disclosed. Platforms that fail to comply face fines under the EU’s Digital Services Act. Minister of state Akis Skertsos said: “Every child is entitled to a common level of protection, regardless of the time, knowledge and capabilities of their family.”

Greece barred mobile phones in schools in 2024 and introduced rules on AI use in schools earlier this year. Greece, Ireland, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Italy and Spain are working with the European Commission on an age-verification system designed to share only whether a user meets the age limit. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced the proposed EU Kids Act in September; it would ban social media access for children under 13. Mitsotakis has said he wants the European Union to adopt a similar approach. In August, France’s top court blocked a proposed ban for children under 15, citing potential freedom-of-expression concerns.