Greece Locks Out Under-15s From Social Media Starting 2027

Greece has officially enacted a blanket ban on social media usage for children under the age of 15, with the new regulations set to take force on January 1, 2027. This move marks a significant shift in European digital policy, positioning the nation as one of the first countries in the EU to implement such a strict age restriction for minors.

The legislation targets major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. To comply with the new law, these services are mandated to implement age-verification methods that are both reliable and proportionate to the user's age. The bill was pushed through by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who initially announced the measure earlier this year. Despite opposition from minority parties in parliament, the government utilized its majority to secure the passage of the bill.

Digital Governance and AI Minister Dimitris Papastergiou defended the decision, arguing that inaction was no longer an option. "It would have been very easy to do absolutely nothing today and wait for the perfect European law. 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," Papastergiou stated. He described the legislation as a necessary step to address the growing impact of digital platforms on young people.

Enforcement of the ban will rely on the EU’s Digital Services Act, which provides a framework for fines if platforms fail to comply. For parents, the law introduces a new layer of digital oversight. They will be required to download state-backed applications, specifically Kids Wallet or Gov.gr, onto their devices. These apps must be paired with the child's device to actively block access to social media services unless proper verification is completed.

To address privacy concerns, the state-backed apps utilize a technology known as "age tokens." According to Papastergiou, these tokens are designed to confirm a user's age while minimizing the amount of personal data disclosed. This approach aims to protect children's privacy while ensuring that platforms can effectively distinguish between adult and minor users.

The national ban follows a 2024 decision by Greece to bar mobile phones from classrooms, signaling a broader governmental strategy to limit digital distraction and exposure for youth. Recent opinion polls indicate that the new social media ban is widely supported by the adult population in Greece, suggesting strong public backing for the government's approach.

Mitsotakis has stated that the government's goal is to encourage the European Union to adopt similar measures. The European Commission has recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which moves in the same direction, though it currently stipulates an outright ban only for children under 13. Greece’s move to set the threshold at 15 is more restrictive than the proposed EU standard.

As the first European nation to enact such a comprehensive ban, Greece joins a small group of global leaders in this area. Australia was the first country in the world to implement a full social media ban for kids, but the nation has faced significant challenges in executing effective age verification. Greece’s new law will serve as a test case for how reliable verification methods can be deployed at scale within the EU framework.